- Jeep patent shows a winch stored inside an EV frunk.
- Design routes winch cable through the grille center.
- Frunk mounting reduces front bumper weight load.
For serious off-road enthusiasts, a front-mounted winch is close to essential equipment. It can pull another vehicle out of trouble or, when secured to a sturdy tree or rock, help recover your own. A recent Jeep patent suggests that future electric Jeeps could take a different approach by housing a winch inside the frunk.
A recent patent filing by Jeep in the United States suggests that the unused space under an EV’s hood could be an ideal location for a winch. In the concept, the winch would sit just above a front-mounted electric motor, with the cable routed through the center of the grille.
Read: Jeep’s $65,000 Recon Is Surprisingly Fast, But Can It Outrun The EV Slowdown?
Ordinarily, winches are positioned above or within an off-roader’s front bumper. While this placement keeps them easy to access, it also introduces a few compromises. Heavy-duty winches can weigh upwards of 90 lbs (41 kg), which places additional weight ahead of the vehicle’s suspension and can negatively affect handling. A winch mounted on the bumper is also exposed and vulnerable to impacts on particularly challenging trails.
Jeep’s patent, first spotted by Autoblog, attempts to address some of these issues. Several illustrations in the filing show the winch mounted inside the frunk of the upcoming Jeep Recon, the company’s first fully electric model to earn the Trail Rated badge.
USPTO
When Jeep revealed the Recon EV late last year, it made no mention of a frunk-mounted winch. Still, the vehicle appears well suited for such a feature. The front compartment should have enough space to position a winch above the electric motor on the front axle. If Jeep eventually offers this as an accessory, it would likely come at a premium, though it could prove genuinely useful for off-road drivers.
Admittedly, it remains unclear how popular the new Recon will be. Partly due to relaxed regulations under the Trump administration, interest in new EVs has softened, giving automakers more freedom to continue producing traditional gas-powered models. The Recon is also relatively expensive, starting at $65,000 in the off-road focused Moab trim.
