Mopar rolls into SEMA 2022 with Jeep electromod, 2 Ram concepts

Jeep CJ Surge ‘electromod’ visions EV plug-‘n’-play retrofits
Ram’s TRX Gold Shot, meanwhile, is built for motocross riders
And the Ram 1500 Backcountry builds on the RamBox system

The annual SEMA Show, a bash which showcases acres of custom vehicles and accessories, kicks off this week in Las Vegas. Mopar has shown up in force, bringing a pair of attention-grabbing Ram concepts and an old-school Jeep CJ which uses the notion of ‘electromodding’ to fuse together the past and present.

We’ll start with the Jeep CJ Surge Concept, simply because it looks impossibly cool in its Copper Canyon paint and retro rectilinear lines. Under the hood is a scalable 400-volt 200-kW electric drive module, mounted to the frame using custom-made attachments. Power finds its way to all four wheels via 24 lithium-ion battery modules, while torque runs through a two-speed Jeep transfer case with selectable gearing.

Front and rear Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) Dana 44 crate axles are hove up in under this CJ, while a smattering of other available JPP items – such as a Wrangler JK Rubicon bumper kit and skid plates – are strewn around this concept as well.

mopar rolls into sema 2022 with jeep electromod, 2 ram concepts

Jeep® CJ Surge Concept Photo by Stellantis

If you’ve already peered at the photos and noticed that centre console sourced from a Wrangler JK, give yourself a gold star. The rotary shifter knob sprouting from it is part and parcel of making this Frankenstein operable, and means it will drive nothing like the Jeep Magneto Concept we drove in Moab earlier this year.

Engineers are quick to point out this is a concept, serving as a platform to allow them a better understanding of potential battery-electric vehicle (BEV) parts kit applications. In other words, the Mopar catalog will likely one day offer the guts for enthusiasts to build or convert classic and current cars and trucks into zero-emission vehicles. Tall 35-inch BFGs and a two-inch lift complete the look.

The brutish Ram 1500 TRX Gold Shot Concept has been given a bucketful of side graphics, toned in Bitter Yellow and Satin Black — as if a TRX needed to draw more attention to itself. Designed as a toy-hauler for someone who competes in motocross events (hence the bikes), the truck sits on 37-inch BFGoodrich tires wrapped around 18-inch Black Rhino Chamber wheels.

Two concept 14-inch light bars appear from the RamBar up top, while laser-etched skid plates hang out below the pickup. They are functional, reportedly increasing approach angle to 32.5 degrees. Sewer cannons masquerading as five-inch exhaust tips poke out from its hindquarters.

Ram 1500 TRX Gold Shot Concept Photo by Stellantis

Ram 1500 Backcountry X Concept Photo by Stellantis

Finally, the Ram 1500 Backcountry X Concept can be interpreted as yet another take on the overlanding craze, utilizing custom-designed RamPack and RamRack features which significantly increase the amount of available secure storage space.

The conceptual RamPack storage compartments are pretty neat to your author’s eye, located above the standard RamBox on each bed side and open via a single carbon-fiber hatch-type panel. It’s as if designers put two RamBox units in a taffy puller. It provides over 12 cubic feet of storage space without encroaching on bed space any further than a standard set of RamBoxes.

As concepts, not all of what’s shown here will make production or end up in a catalog. But shows like SEMA give designers a bit of room to play with ideas — some of which do see the light of day. The show officially kicks off tomorrow and runs through to the end of this week.

Keyword: Mopar rolls into SEMA 2022 with Jeep electromod, 2 Ram concepts

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