FEATURE - Jeep CJ Surge concept
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: Stellantis North America
The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association show in the USA, aka SEMA, has become something of an institution for the automotive aftermarket industry and petrolheads alike. Officially a trade-only show, SEMA suffered due to COVID disruptions in the last couple of years, but in 2022, the show was back to its biggest, boldest and best.
Stellantis North America, aka Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge, have been part of the SEMA spectacle for decades, presenting visitors with concepts that are either close to production, far off visions or showcases of parts from the American brand’s Mopar factory accessories arm.
This year was no exception, and while many of the concepts seen at SEMA 2022 had already made their debuts at other events (including the Easter Jeep Safari) earlier in the year, there were still some new arrivals.
“With a spotlight on electrification, Mopar is in a great position to fully enhance the customer experience with quality-tested, factory-backed parts and accessories,” said Mark Bosanac, North America senior vice president, Mopar service, parts and customer care.
In Jeep terms, that experience was presented in the form of the ‘CJ Surge’ concept.
EV Power
As the name suggests, the CJ Surge is powered by electricity in place of the conventional internal combustion engine. The key thinking behind its creation was to incorporate an electric drivetrain into a classic Jeep - what Mopar calls an ‘electromod’ – with the view to offering battery electric vehicle conversion kits for older Jeep vehicles in the future.
“The Jeep CJ Surge concept explores a future zero-emission propulsion system kit and supports the Jeep brand’s mission to become the leading electrified SUV brand in the world,” Bosanac adds.
From the outside, there’s no real clue to what powers the CJ Surge, aside from subtle ‘EV’ badges on the flanks and the blue ‘e’ that’s in the ‘Surge’ name on the bonnet and on the fuel filler cap (now an EV plug-in port) that signifies a Jeep EV.
The electric motor, described as a 400-volt unit producing 200kW, is mounted directly to the chassis and sends power to all four wheels via a Jeep two-speed transfer case. Twenty-four lithium-ion battery modules provide the juice for the motor, and these are encased in a custom shell behind the front seats.
On the concept’s chassis, Mopar have added a 2.0-inch lift kit, while the wheels are 18x9.0-inch Black Rhino 'Solid' alloys, finished in black and shod with 35-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres.
Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) Dana 44 axes are fitted front and rear, as well as a JPP Wrangler JK Rubicon bumper kit with a Warn winch.
The concept’s CJ-7 era (1976 – 1986) body features a custom roll cage with unique bikini top, a fold-down windscreen that’s been bobbed by 2.0 inches and Mopar concept wheelarch flares.
The old-school body gets a new-look paint scheme, consisting of a Copper Canyon metallic base with an upper section in gloss black, split by stripes in black and Surf Blue – Jeep’s signature EV colour. Detail touches outside include a concept bonnet, blackout grille, amber fog lights and Surf Blue accents on the wheels and tow hooks at each end.
In the CJ Surge’s cabin, custom race-style seats with multi-point harnesses sit on custom risers, while black Sedoso cloth trim with houndstooth fabric inserts and Surf Blue stitching on the seats picks up on the exterior colouring.
The centre console, from a JK Wrangler, sits between the custom seats, with its rotary drive selector knob somewhat at odds with the analogue gauge in the concept’s stripped-back dash that shows speed, rpm, volts and fuel (presumably ‘charge’ in this application).
There’s also a retro-look custom steering wheel, adorned with a JPP logo in the boss, while the floor’s textured finish is topped with a set of Mopar all-weather floor mats.
Most of the exterior colouring carries over to the cabin, with the Copper Canyon finish on the dash accented with black.
How soon and in what quantity the classic Jeep community will take to EV conversions is hard to predict, but the CJ Surge shows that, when they are ready, Jeep and Mopar will have the EV parts for them.
