Jeep engineers a Wrangler EV with manual gearbox

For 4x4 enthusiasts who see the electric-vehicle (EV) future as the conclusive death-blow to manual transmissions, there is hope. Jeep engineers have unveiled the first battery-electric Wrangler and it's fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The clever prototype powertrain is the centerpiece of the Wrangler Magneto concept vehicle, developed to show that the world's original 4-wheel-drive utility vehicle can sustain the transition to zero-emissions propulsion without losing any off-road capability.

The Magneto's mission is to prove it's in fact got even more mojo in the dirt, mud and on slickrock than its combustion-engine cousins. Many in the trail-driving community believe that quiet electric drivelines will help keep off-roading alive, and even expand it, as emissions and noise regulations tighten.