These results are astonishing.
The Willys Jeep is the most iconic vehicle. The humble Jeep has been transformed by many passionate owners. The Willys Jeep is capable of doing almost anything, from the Jeepney-like Jeepneys of the Philippines, to the stainless steel EV conversion featured in Hagerty’s MODIFIED series. A classic Willys Jeep makes a great EV conversion platform.
The Jeep Willys platform has a simple body-on frame setup, with leaf springs. It also comes with solid axles. A Willys Jeep is the most simple of all vehicles, making them the ideal candidate for extreme modifications such as this EV conversion.
AI Design, a New York-based custom auto tuning and engineering company, set about fulfilling the owner’s vision of an EV-powered Willys Jeep. This stainless-steel Jeep was passed to the owner by his grandfather, who kept it in a garage. This unique Jeep was taken to AI Design for restoration and conversion.
The EV conversion consists of familiar components such as Tesla Battery Cells, along with a custom watertight battery enclosure. Because they are easily available on the salvage market, and are in large quantities thanks to their years of use, Tesla batteries are the best choice for custom-built builds.
It is an interesting combination to have one of the most basic vehicles ever made and a modern engine. Is modern technology affecting the Willys Jeep’s character? The driving video shows that you don’t have to. You still get an open-air, high-steering input driving experience and a more powerful powertrain. This is my opinion.