Let’s be honest: it is really hard to build a Jeep JK that stands out these days. Want to put 40-inch tires on a JK and sling one-ton axles under it? It has been done plenty of times. How about a diesel conversion? That has been done, too. What about a Hemi swap? While a great idea, they are somewhat commonplace.
Sure, you can chalk some of that up to us being jaded off-road journalists. After all, we do come across a lot of Jeep JKs in our line of work. The venerable JK has been around in roughly the same form for a decade now, which means that not only are there plenty of them on the road, but in our minds pretty much everything that could be done with a JK has already been done.
Proving us completely wrong on that jaded front is the radical Jeep JK two-door, seen here. From the outside, it looks similar to other extremely built Jeeps we have seen with 40-inch tires and swapped. Looking closer, the back-halfed frame and big coilovers teamed with bypass shocks further differentiate it from other hardcore JKs. But, what really sets this Jeep JK apart is how it is powered.
Open the hood of the Jeep JK and none of the usual propulsion suspects are found. There isn’t a Hemi or a LS engine to greet you. Nor is there a Cummins diesel. In fact, there isn’t an engine at all. Only a strange looking cover, the quiet whir of a couple of cooling fans, and some blinking lights that give you a clue as to just what the heck is going on under the hood.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this JK doesn’t use gasoline or any form of a combustion engine. Rather it is 100% powered by electricity. Built by Poison Spyder Customs in a joint venture with South Korean firm CAD4X and Pro Comp USA, the use of electricity brings some advantages. First off, the JK has zero emissions making it a very eco-friendly wheeler. The use of an electric motor brings instantaneous torque, with a torque curve that is basically flat. Spend enough time on the trail and you quickly realize that torque is king. And tons of torque down low is even better. An electric motor delivers this in spades.
Our curiosity was definitely perked the first time we saw the JK quietly hum past us. Thankfully, we got the opportunity to check it out further. Let’s dive into the details of one unique all electric Jeep JK.
Open the hood and the first thing even someone completely unfamiliar with Jeeps will spot, is the lack of an engine. In place of the standard 3.6L V6 is a Kokam/EMVCon 29 kWh battery pack. A second 29 kwh battery is found in the rear of the Jeep. The setup gives the option of running one battery down and then switching to the second battery to avoid being stranded. Going fully electric also necessitated that the brake booster be switched to an electric model and that the power steering had an electric pump. Also visible is the Optima battery and a sPOD 8 Circuit SE System that controls the electrical accessories.
Products we used in this article
Wheeling with the electric JK is definitely a unique experience. It is eerily quiet, producing a slight whine as it stealthy moves along. A nice side effect of this is verbal communication with a spotter is extremely easy as you can almost whisper to each other. Maximum range is said to be about 70 miles before both battery packs are depleted.
Products Used in this Article
The JK sports a custom Pro Comp suspension at every corner. In the rear, the stock frame was cut off just after the door opening and disposed off. The new fabricated frame section allows clearance for the 14-inch stroke coilovers and three-tube bypass shocks. One off Pro Comp aluminum control arms and a torsion bar sway bar help to yield plenty of flex.
2