Jeep recently showed off its new EV prototypes based on the Jeep Wrangler, and the prototypes are called the Magneto and Magneto 2.0.
According to Motor Trend, Jeep displayed its Wrangler EV prototypes at its safari launch event. The vehicles were named Magneto and Magneto 2.0 and built off existing gas-powered Jeep Wrangler architecture, employing much of the same bodywork, interior, and even 4×4 system. The brand plans a 2024 release date for the vehicle’s production version, but it will likely not be its first EV.
The two prototype vehicles showed off impressive and somewhat unique specifications. Starting with the Magneto, based on the two-door Jeep Wrangler, the vehicle featured a manual transmission and 2-speed transfer case, both taken off of the gas-powered variant of the Jeep Wrangler. The 4×4 system was then hooked up to a single motor in the engine bay, producing 285 horsepower and 273-pound-feet of torque. A 70kWh battery powered the motor.
The Magneto 2.0 offered a significant upgrade; using a similar two-door Jeep Wrangler body, Jeep upgraded the vehicle with an 800-volt architecture and a more powerful motor. The second iteration of the Jeep Wrangler Magneto produced 625 horsepower and 850-pound-feet of torque.
Jeep is certainly staying true to its roots with the Magneto prototypes, but their dedication to Jeep’s heritage technology will likely pose challenges for them in the future. First, using the manual transmission and transfer case means that the vehicle is far heavier and must work the motor harder to overcome inefficiencies by going through the system. The traditional 4×4 system also means that the vehicle is far more complex and contains far more failure points than a direct drive alternative.
Jeep didn’t comment on the possible advantages of their system, and it is certainly true that they would not be the only manufacturer introducing traditional transmission technology to EVs. The Porsche Taycan has a two-speed gearbox, for example. However, Jeep’s approach remains unique.
The second issue Jeep will face has more to do with design language. Due to the Jeep’s lackluster aerodynamics, the vehicle will work far harder to punch through the air rather than cut through it (though the tag line “don’t cut through the air, punch it” does have a certain ring to it). On top of this, the vehicle’s large grippy tires mean yet another inefficiency is added to the system.
Doing some basic napkin math, with the 70kWh battery, if the vehicle must overcome so many inefficiencies, it would be surprising to see it achieve more than 2 miles per kW, giving the prototype a hypothetical range of only 140 miles. That said, the Jeep Wrangler Magneto 2.0 featured a higher voltage architecture that could allow incredibly fast charging and a production model would likely fit a larger battery system if it were designed off a new, independent platform instead.
It has always been true that Jeep buyers are buying more than a vehicle; they are buying into an idea, a lifestyle, and even a not-so-secret wave to other Jeep drivers. However, with the introduction of EV technology, Jeep buyers may be compromising more than ever.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI, creator of Grok and Grokipedia, celebrates its third birthday
xAI Memphis highlighted several of its milestones over the years in its celebratory post.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI has marked its third anniversary. The update was shared in a post from the xAI Memphis account on social media platform X.
xAI Memphis highlighted several of its milestones over the years in its celebratory post.
As per xAI, it has built three massive data centers in the city, launched a coherent cluster of 330,000 GBs, created over 3,000 jobs, and paid over $30 million in taxes to local communities.
xAI’s Memphis operation has become a key part of the company’s infrastructure as the company works to train and deploy its Grok artificial intelligence models. Elon Musk has been quite optimistic about Grok’s potential, noting in the past that the large language model might have a shot at achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
xAI’s Memphis’ crown jewel is its Colossus supercomputer cluster. The project was announced in 2024 and has since become the home of one of the world’s largest AI compute facilities. The first phase of Colossus reached its initial 100,000 GPU operational milestone in just 122 days, or just about four months.
Industry figures such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have praised the facility, noting that projects of similar scale typically take two to four years to complete.
xAI has cited Memphis’ central location, skilled workforce, and industrial infrastructure as key reasons for selecting the city as the home of its AI training operations. The company has also emphasized plans to expand the site further as it scales compute capacity for Grok and future AI models.
News
Tesla Sweden’s Megapack Supercharger near Arlanda continues to aggravate IF Metall union
The charging site, located in Arlandastad outside Stockholm, appears to be operating despite ongoing union blockade measures tied to Tesla’s labor dispute in the country.
Tesla Sweden’s Megapack-powered Supercharger station near Arlanda Airport has continued to aggravate Swedish labor union IF Metall. The charging site, located in Arlandastad outside Stockholm, appears to be operating despite ongoing union blockade measures tied to Tesla’s labor dispute in the country.
Comments about the site were shared by IF Metall representatives in remarks to Swedish publication CarUp.
The Arlandastad location includes eight Tesla Superchargers powered by a Megapack battery system. Unlike traditional charging stations that rely on direct grid connections, the site uses a large battery installation to store electricity and power the chargers.
According to the Swedish publication, the setup allowed the station to come online despite sympathy measures from Sweden’s electricians’ union, which has attempted to prevent companies from cooperating with Tesla as part of the broader labor conflict.
IF Metall press manager Jesper Pettersson indicated that the union was not aware that the Superchargers had already been connected and activated.
“We do not know the details around this. But it is further proof of how Tesla systematically finds loopholes to circumvent the sympathy measures through active strikebreaking. Every time this happens it gives us reason to sharpen our conflict measures,” Pettersson said.
Union representatives also noted that the Megapack appears to be charged using electrical cables routed through nearby terrain, though the exact power source remains under review.
The Megapack-powered site has then prompted questions from Swedish labor unions about how electricity is being supplied to the system.
IF Metall has submitted a report to Sweden’s Energy Market Inspectorate asking the regulator to review whether the electricity supply arrangement complies with national regulations. The Megapack is reportedly charged using electricity from a local company, though the provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, previously stated that Swedish law limits electricity trading to companies with proper authorization.
“The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this…
“This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.
IF Metall and Tesla Sweden’s conflict has been going on for over two years now.
Elon Musk
Starbase after dark: Musk’s latest photo captures a Spaceport on the brink of history
SpaceX’s Starbase city in Boca Chica, Texas is rapidly transforming the southern tip of the Lone Star State into one of the most ambitious launch complexes in history.
A striking nighttime photograph of SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, shared recently by Elon Musk on X, offers a dramatic glimpse of an operation that is rapidly transforming the southern tip of the Lone Star State into one of the most ambitious launch complexes in history.
The most immediately visible change in the photo is the presence of two fully erected Starship launch towers dominating the coastal skyline. The second orbital launch pad, known as Pad B, now features its fully erected tower, OLIT-3, which stands approximately 474 feet tall and incorporates an integrated water-cooled flame trench designed to minimize damage and reduce turnaround time between launches. The dual-tower silhouette against the night sky signals a decisive shift from experimental testing facility to high-cadence launch operations.
Grok Image concept of Elon Musk’s latest Starbase photo via X
Back at Starbase, Pad 2 is approaching hardware completion, with upgraded chopstick arms, a new chilldown vent system, and all 20 hold-down arms now fitted with protective doors to shield them from the intense exhaust of up to 33 Raptor 3 engines, according to a deeper dive by NASASpaceFlight.
SpaceX has also received approval to nearly double the footprint of the Starbase launch site, with groundwork already underway to add LNG liquefaction plants, expanded propellant storage, and additional ground support infrastructure.
The photo also carries a milestone civic dimension. Starbase officially became a Texas city in May 2025 after a community vote, with SpaceX employees elected as mayor and commissioners of the newly incorporated municipality. That legal status streamlines launch approvals and gives SpaceX direct control over local infrastructure decisions.
The FAA has approved an increase in launches from Starbase in Texas from five to twenty-five per year, clearing the runway for the kind of flight frequency needed to fulfill Starship’s ultimate mission of ferrying cargo and crew to the Moon, servicing the Department of Defense, deploying next-generation Starlink satellites, and eventually establishing Elon Musk’s long sought after goal of a self-sustaining human presence on Mars.
Seen from above in the dark, Starbase looks less like a test site and more like a spaceport.
Elon Musk’s xAI, creator of Grok and Grokipedia, celebrates its third birthday
Tesla Sweden’s Megapack Supercharger near Arlanda continues to aggravate IF Metall union
