What does it mean to be a leader in your corner of the industry? It requires an obsession over the smallest of details. It requires extreme dedication to the craft of innovating. It requires thinking outside the box, and morphing what we know to be the standard into something never seen before. Jonathan Ward is no stranger to the necessity of detail-obsession. His passion for excellence keeps ICON at the top of the food chain in the part of the automotive world I like to call retro perfectionism.
Think of Apple, and the electronics industry. They won’t build a product unless they are sure they can absolutely nail it. The same goes with ICON and their new EV Bronco. They were sure about building it, but wanted to make sure the team could create a product worthy of bearing an ICON badge. The time has come, and the ICON EV Bronco has been fully developed into a production-ready vehicle. I recently had the opportunity to drive it, and unsurprisingly, my mind was blown at what I was experiencing.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and a first drive directly from the ICON factory in Chatsworth, California.
It’s Bronco-ness Remains
Let’s cut right to the chase. You want to know if electrification “ruins” the ICON Bronco experience. I’m here to gladly report that the EV Bronco is, in fact, just as much of a masterpiece as the ICE-powered ICON Broncos.
Back To Back With ICON’s Best
ICON was kind enough to invite TopSpeed out to Chatsworth, California to drive their new EV Bronco. First, though, I was offered a refresher drive of their Coyote-powered 5.0-liter Bronco first. That vehicle is equipped with a five-speed manual and all the usual ICON refinements. Instantly, I remembered why these trucks are so sought after in the vintage Ford Bronco space. Everything about it just works well. Operation is smooth and reliable. The manual is a joy to use, and the ride/steering characteristics are unmatched in this segment. It’s the type of driving experience that really calls on the name, “Bronco.” A bit wild, but always entertaining. It feels high quality, and that shines through in both their appearance (inside and out) and the way they travel down the road.
The EV version is (no pun intended) shockingly similar to the ICE version. Its ride quality, ease of operation, and capability have all been wonderfully preserved for those who prefer a more silent, but silly quick, classic. Side by side, you’d be hard-pressed to tell which one was electric, aside from the absence of a tailpipe, and the addition of a battery pack out back. Even then, it just looks like a cargo area, and doesn’t significantly change the departure angle. It’s such a carefully thought-out design that was meant to be as close to a carbon copy of the ICE truck as possible. The signature ICON ride/handling remains, as does the ability to hit 60 miles per hour way too quickly. This one will do it in just under five seconds, which is more than plenty quick for a Bronco.
Impostor Syndrome
Even the interior of the ICON EV Bronco is just about exactly the same as the ICE original. It still has a column shifter, and vintage-style gauge cluster, although they now measure fun things like battery pack and motor temps rather than oil and coolant temps. Having a product that operates the same inside and out, but also aesthetically resembles your original, is a key part of the luxury market, of which ICON is very much a part. These are toys, and the people who want them have come to expect a certain signature experience. The EV Bronco had to deliver on that.
Thankfully, ICON hasn’t diluted their image in doing so. Ward explains, “We could have removed pretty much all the powertrain/drivetrain noises altogether, but that wouldn’t have been representative of what our drivers want.” ICON drivers want the good sounds, but none of the bad, naturally. That’s why you still get the whirring of the motor and drivetrain, and the humming of other moving parts. It’s appropriate noise for the product and the powertrain choice.
Devil In The Details
A Different Way To EV
Typically, these days EVs have motors mounted at the axles since the battery packs tend to live in the floors of new vehicles. This wasn’t the best packaging option for ICON so, instead, the modular battery pack is split front and rear, while the motor is mounted in the middle with driveshafts leading to Currie axles, including a rear limited-slip differential, and front Locking differential. Full-time all-wheel-drive is a beneficial side effect of this brilliant packaging solution. Beyond that is a new Reiger adjustable suspension and Brembo braking system. ICON was able to retain their slick electro-hydraulic steering system on the EV Bronco.
The battery pack accounts for a 105-kWh capacity, translating to a 175- to 200-mile range for the EV Bronco. That number might seem low, but in reality, it’s plenty for the intended use of such a vehicle. There is an onboard Level 2 charger, while CCS Level 3 fast charging is available. The battery packs and all electrical equipment are waterproofed and thermally managed.
Timing Is Everything
With the introduction of so many electric SUVs these days, it was only a matter of time until manufacturers such as ICON brought out their own version of an electrified classic. ICON isn’t a brand that just rushes through projects, though. It had to be something that works hard, and perform as you’d expect an ICON vehicle to. “We had to wait till the technology was of a quality and reliability level to where we could comfortably build the truck we needed.”
A Joint Effort
A seven-year conceived idea between ICON founder Jonathan Ward and Moment Motors founder Marc Davis has resulted in one of the most well-rounded EV vintage vehicles on the market. Development of the ICON EV Bronco took two years, but the pair of them say the time has come for the EV Bronco to become a reality.
Meet Moment Motor Company
Moment Motor Company is an EV conversion tech hub found in Austin, Texas. What Moment Motors does best is take the wonderful, albeit sometimes problematic, classic models from the brands you know and love and turn them into EV works of art. They aim to preserve the presence of highly coveted models, while embracing the electric future of automobiles. Moment has developed a dedicated combination of battery packs, combined with corresponding motors, controllers, and any other fine-tuning elements in between that might be necessary for special conversion projects. They are obsessed with perfection, and strive to provide the right answer for EV conversions, rather than just another one.
Electrification Is Simple, But Not Always Easy
Ward and Davis both operate on the same brilliant detail-obsessive level, which is why their two companies offer the best possible collaborative effort for such a project. ICON couldn’t simply “throw some EV parts at a Bronco and call it a day.” The resulting machine had to “perform, operate, and be as reliable as a current ICE-powered ICON Bronco.” This would require some finesse no matter what. Luckily, Moment Motors has developed a modular battery pack, specific controllers, and motor packages that would work in a way that could be appropriate for an ICON. The unique packaging requirements of a classic Bronco meant there had to be special consideration for how the EV components were laid out.
Ultra Limited, For Now
ICON plans to build a very limited initial run of just 10 EV Broncos called the “Founder’s Edition.” They are all spoken for, but Jonathan Ward says he will gauge interest, and ICON will plan for higher production in the coming years, depending on customer interest and evolving tech. Prices start at $449,000 and up based on specifications/options.
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