Forget throwing an LS engine in your Jeep CJ. You should put an electric motor in there instead, and Jeep is leading the way. At SEMA, the company is unveiling a battery-electric system that is meant to fit in classic Jeeps. It’s called the CJ Surge, and in a word, it’s sick. The “electromod” concept is meant to allow designers and engineers to better understand the potential of BEV parts kits.
Jeep says that under the hood of the CJ Surge is a 400 volt, 200 kW electric drive motor. Power is routed to all four wheels (duh, it’s a Jeep) via a two-speed transfer case with selectable gearing. The SUV has front and rear Jeep Performance Parks Dana 44 Crate Axles. All of the power comes from 24 lithium-ion batteries that are enclosed in a custom — and assumedly secure — shell mounted at the rear of the passenger cabin.
The “Copper Canyon” coloured SUV runs on 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires that are paired with a two-inch lift kit and 18-by-9 inch Black Rhino Solid wheels with plenty of blue and black accents that can be found throughout the rest of the exterior.
Up front there’s an interesting — if not slightly out of place — JPP Wrangler JK Rubicon bumper kit with a winch, LED fog lights and underbody protection. There’s also a two-inch chopped windshield.
Along the side of the CJ Surge are more of those black and blue accents as well as a custom charging port right behind the driver’s door. It really looks like it was meant to be there, even though it very clearly was not.
Inside is a bit spartan, but that’s sort of to be expected for something like a Jeep CJ. The surf blue-stitched, black Sedoso cloth and houndstooth driver and passenger seats are perched on concept seat risers. The centre console will look very familiar if you’ve spent time in a modern Wrangler. The one thing you won’t be able to get your eye past is the rotary-style shift knob that comes right out of a number of different Stellantis products. The driver controls the CJ Surge from a custom steering wheel that is festooned with a unique JPP horn pad badge.
It’s all very cool, isn’t it?