Photo: moaoun_moaoun/instagram
Later in the decade, we'll see electric trucks charging their way into consumers' homes, and a brand like Jeep obviously can't overlook this segment. For now, though, we wish to zoom in on an independent design initiative that was born as part of a recently completed Internet design sketch battle that FCA held in order to keep us entertained in the absence of a physical SEMA show for 2020.
With the Vegas custom car festival canceled due to the ongoing health crisis, the online competition saw entries being judged by Ralph Gilles, FCA head of design and Mark Trostle, head of Ram Truck and Mopar Design.
And we are now looking at one of the top three finalists, a rendering that comes from digital artist Mo Aoun - in case you're wondering, the artist's "day jobs" involve serving U.S. game developer 343 industries and Microsoft Game Studios.
For this battle, Aoun took one of his previous ideas, namely a modern-day Jeep Forward Control, to a whole new level.
As old-school aficionados will tell you, the Forward Control was a rather compact workhorse produced between 1956 and 1965, with this using the short wheelbase of the CJ-5 platform to deliver a bed, which meant the cab had to be pushed forward, so it ended up on top of the four-cylinder Hurricane motor.
We can instantly recognize theWillis Willys influences thanks to the front fascia of this digital proposal, while the lack of a front overhang displayed by the vehicle could obviously lead to some spectacular climbing shenanigans - the monstrous go-anywhere tires, which are wrapped around bead lock wheels, only came naturally.
While the handles sitting behind the side windows speak of the vehicle's utilitarian nature, the bed extension makes for the modern part of the equation. Oh, and those ultra-slim fenders perfectly describe the simple styling of the machine, with this being a great asset in today's overdesigned automotive landscape.
Sure, we could easily dream of such a concept evolving into a working prototype with the help of the 392 HEMI that now animates the Wrangler straight from the factory (frankly, the engine could even sit in the bed). However, that might not take us much further than the otherwise impressive Mighty FC concept Jeep introduced back in 2012.
As such, building a business case for the return of the Forward Control would probably be easier with an all-electric powertrain, not just thanks to the said market trends, but also as a result of the better packaging.
Now, Jeep CEO Christian Meunier has been talking about an aggressive electrification plan for the past two years. However the limitations of the current battery technology mean relying solely on electric power for towing or travelling to the middle of nowhere isn't the best option. So, while the number of hybrid Jeep such as the Wrangler 4xe plug-in offering will only increase, we might have some waiting to do before an all-electric model is launched.
PS: While this concept is our favorite, you can also check out the other two top dogs in the last Instagram post below, which come from FCA's styling boss. That's where you'll find Paul Piliste's Will E-s and Timur Dautov's Mopar Cargo Racer.
And we are now looking at one of the top three finalists, a rendering that comes from digital artist Mo Aoun - in case you're wondering, the artist's "day jobs" involve serving U.S. game developer 343 industries and Microsoft Game Studios.
For this battle, Aoun took one of his previous ideas, namely a modern-day Jeep Forward Control, to a whole new level.
As old-school aficionados will tell you, the Forward Control was a rather compact workhorse produced between 1956 and 1965, with this using the short wheelbase of the CJ-5 platform to deliver a bed, which meant the cab had to be pushed forward, so it ended up on top of the four-cylinder Hurricane motor.
We can instantly recognize the
While the handles sitting behind the side windows speak of the vehicle's utilitarian nature, the bed extension makes for the modern part of the equation. Oh, and those ultra-slim fenders perfectly describe the simple styling of the machine, with this being a great asset in today's overdesigned automotive landscape.
Sure, we could easily dream of such a concept evolving into a working prototype with the help of the 392 HEMI that now animates the Wrangler straight from the factory (frankly, the engine could even sit in the bed). However, that might not take us much further than the otherwise impressive Mighty FC concept Jeep introduced back in 2012.
As such, building a business case for the return of the Forward Control would probably be easier with an all-electric powertrain, not just thanks to the said market trends, but also as a result of the better packaging.
Now, Jeep CEO Christian Meunier has been talking about an aggressive electrification plan for the past two years. However the limitations of the current battery technology mean relying solely on electric power for towing or travelling to the middle of nowhere isn't the best option. So, while the number of hybrid Jeep such as the Wrangler 4xe plug-in offering will only increase, we might have some waiting to do before an all-electric model is launched.
PS: While this concept is our favorite, you can also check out the other two top dogs in the last Instagram post below, which come from FCA's styling boss. That's where you'll find Paul Piliste's Will E-s and Timur Dautov's Mopar Cargo Racer.
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