Columbia ParCar recently announced that they have won an order to supply 799 LSVs for the US Army.  The LSVs will be used at 47 US Army installations in the US and Puerto Rico and are part of a three year plan to purchase 4,000 LSVs.  The plan calls for 800 LSVs to be acquired in 2009, 1,600 in 2010 and another 1,600 in 2011.  The vehicles will be  used for passenger transport, security patrol, maintenance and delivery services.  According to Columbia ParCar’s Scott Breckley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, “438 vehicles are four-passenger models and the remaining 361 units are utility vehicles capable of transporting two passengers and cargo.” Learn more:  Columbia ParCar

Comment: This order is another example of the growing importance of the military segment for LSVs and utility vehicles.  Kawasaki and Polaris have previously won contracts to supply utility vehicles and the Army’s LSV program represents a significant chunk of the LSV market.  For utility vehicles, vehicle performance in specific field applications and favorable price points compared to previous vehicle options available is driving demand.  Polaris, according to their latest presentation to investors, considers the military segment a significant new market development initiative in their global market strategy.  For the LSVs, the military is replacing more expensive larger vehicles and saving on fuel costs, while still being able to perform the necessary tasks. – Marc Cesare