EV Wrangler

So I suppose I'd never really thought of this, but an EV with a manual transmission would be an absolute blast. You could still get the mechanical engagement of shifting gears, great torque curve. Interesting idea.
 
I think it's a neat concept. Instant torque at 0 RPM would be awesome for rock crawling! No slipping the clutch, no need for crazy reduction.
 
I would imagine 2 speeds would be all you need. The rpm range of these motors is like forever...

don’t underestimate the ability of the powers that be to implement a feel good CAFE type requirement for EVs too.
 
Think about a brushless cordless drill. You can stall out an electric motor. You can over load the system, trip thermal protection at the wrong moment and find yourself of in a very dangerous situation off road.
I would prefer several gears and an amp meter so I can choose the best ratio with the least current draw for a given situation. This may also help with battery life and reduce heavy heat sinks and bulky active cooling systems.
 
Last edited:
I can only assume you're joking since motor control in any modern EV is far too sophisticated to need such a primitive level of operator intervention.
 
I can only assume you're joking since motor control in any modern EV is far too sophisticated to need such a primitive level of operator intervention.
Intervention? Need? No. I'm thinking about a simple interface to see what your power draw is. A simple gauge. Instead of reading boost or vacuum it's reads amps and serves as a visual aid, nothing more.

The range and power demand meters fluctuate with load and acceleration even on older hybrid cars. They are reading amperage output and input.

I'm talking about serious off road driving with high draw amperage, a lot of heat and the usefulness of mechanical advantage in this application. I'm thinking less Tesla cute-ute and more kit-bashed wrangler with rugged and utilitarian electric power swapped in. Utmost simplicity, torque and responsiveness offered by electric power in this app rather than the highly sophisticated power management system found in a sedan designed for efficiency and long range driving.
 
Last edited:
I'm with you now. I'll agree that driving a modern EV can be quite boring other than occasionally leaving other cars in the dust. I've pondered the option of manual motor commutation to improve driver involvement but instead have opted to purchase a cheap manual trans 4WD ice suv to get that out of my system.
But seriously there is a fellow I know who has built a dragstrip EV out of a beat up '70s Aussie Torana. He designs with a welder in one hand and a gas axe in the other. Adding two forklift motors directly driving the rear diff, a plastic crate full of Nissan Leaf cells and a Curtis 2000A controller and he wins races. Safety is definitely not his middle name, more likely sparks. Is that closer to what you mean?

1618354531394.jpg
 
I think Jeep have hit the nail on the head for the N.A. market. And a good choice to keep the conventional 4x4 system rather than make one axle electric and one ICE as some hybrid soft-roaders have done. The clever part of the design (really ZF's doing) was to eliminate the redundant and inefficient torque converter and start off on electric.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4WD
I ran across a guy years ago, built a glass body BEV using a VW bug transmission through a clutch to the electric motor. He said it was a blast.... you could leave it in 3rd or 4th and just drive it, or if you wanted to be ridiculous you could shift it. He said if you decided to use first or second it would shred tires mercilessly on demand.
 
So I suppose I'd never really thought of this, but an EV with a manual transmission would be an absolute blast. You could still get the mechanical engagement of shifting gears, great torque curve. Interesting idea.
Why do you need a manual transmission when you have 100% torque from beginning to the end? If not enough torque you can connect 2 motors together like the Prius CVT and have them run in the same direction (double torque) or opposite (double speed).
 
Like fake engine sound?
Sometimes I make racing engine sounds in our Tesla. When on a Bluetooth call, people say, "You don't sound like you are in a car."
So I make some stupid car noises.

By the way, the Tesla sound systems are, by far, the best I have ever heard. The Model 3 puts the Mark Levinson systems in out Lexi to shame.
 
Sometimes I make racing engine sounds in our Tesla. When on a Bluetooth call, people say, "You don't sound like you are in a car."
So I make some stupid car noises.

By the way, the Tesla sound systems are, by far, the best I have ever heard. The Model 3 puts the Mark Levinson systems in out Lexi to shame.

The Model 3 stereo is very good, I agree. The one in my Jeep is also excellent, as was the system in the e-tron. I'm very interested to see what the McIntosh system in the Grand Wagoneer sounds like.
 
Why do you need a manual transmission when you have 100% torque from beginning to the end? If not enough torque you can connect 2 motors together like the Prius CVT and have them run in the same direction (double torque) or opposite (double speed).
Ultimately it'll make more torque. Hit a rock that goes literally straight up and I could see the need for lots of torque.

Also I wonder if it makes modulating speed easier. As in, you hit an obstacle, then keep applying "throttle" and suddenly you're over. If you run out of revs quickly, then it doesn't take off so bad. [Just a guess, I stay on pavement.]
 
Back
Top