Electric ATVs And You
May 7, 2010 by J-Rod
Electric ATVs came to mind more recently because of Earth Day (April 22) and School District 206 (Alexandria, Minn.) sponsored an Eco Fair in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The fair was a huge success and showcased many companies and products that are designed with the environment in mind (For example: www.ecorainbarrel.org). A more recent Twitter post from Mototassinari also had me thinking more about electric ATVs.
For the most part, I viewed the electric ATV market as mini quads and electric ride-on vehicles (Fisher-Price Power Wheels) and that’s about it. That is, until I read more about KTM’s efforts with the FREERIDE zero-emmissions dirt bike, Zero Motorcycles, Honda electric scooter, worked on a Scooter story for Powersports Business and learned more about the Polaris Ranger EV (I wrote something about coverage of this model). [Editor's note: The ATV Magazine editors have a test Ranger EV and plan on doing a story or two to evaluate it. They may even take it turkey hunting.]
I love forward thinking and finding creative ways to put smiles on consumers faces and meet their needs. Are electric models really the future of off-road sports? Certainly not, but they probably have to exist in order to create a “cleaner” image and create a viable off-road vehicle for future customers or the “green crowd.” I’m not saying ATV owners/riders can’t also be green. That’s a story (or argument) for another time, but just because we ride off-road doesn’t me we don’t care about the environment.
I’m not sure I’m sold on electric quads and I never want gasoline-powered ATVs to go the way of the dinosaurs. I think both types of machines are needed and will hopefully appeal to each specific buyer. Until someone builds a sport quad that can pull like Renegade 800 and handle like a race quad, I’m not interested. However, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try an electric ATV. An actual test is far better than reading specs and promises on paper.
Here are a few electric ATVs to check out:
Image courtesy of Barefoot Motors
I asked myself a few questions about my readiness for electric models?
- Would I like/enjoy an electric ATV?
- How much would I be willing to spend on an electric machine?
- How much would I save in not having to purchase fuel?
- How many companies make electric quads/UTVs?
- What’s the environmental footprint of an EV compared to a gas-fed four-stroke ATV? Waste?
- Just plug it to charge and unplug it and go riding, really?
- How come none of the major manufacturers product electric ATVs? (Aside from Polaris with its EV Ranger UTV)
- What sort of performance levels does an electric quad really have?
- Can they really be ridden off-road?
What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you own an electric vehicle? What’s your impression of it? Share your ideas, concerns or opinions here.
Last 5 posts by J-Rod
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- Suzuki's Factory ATV Racing Team: 2011? - August 27th, 2010
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Great post Jerrod!
I would definitely consider buying a Ranger EV if I had the property for it. It’s a great choice if you’re not looking to go on long trail rides, but want a capable runabout for the back forty. I didn’t expect the first mass market UTV to be such a pleasant surprise, but this market clearly has a bright future.
Looks like the AMA American Motorcyclists mag’s May issue has identified some major players in the electric motorcycle segment. Page 36.