Will Lithium Batteries Disrupt The Fleet Golf Car Market

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The Evolve fleet golf car from LiV Golf Cars is powered by a lithium iron phosphate battery.

For a number of years there has been talk about lithium batteries making an impact on the STOV market. The verdict has always been mixed when I’ve interviewed dealers on the subject. Three years ago you could find a number of dealers predicting that lithium powered vehicles were about to break out and start making serious inroads in the STOV market. However, that has not come to pass, at least not yet. What has happened by all accounts is that lithium batteries have become significantly cheaper. But have they become cheap enough.

I recently spoke to Jon Hoster, the founder of LiV Golf Cars, and he believes they have. Specifically he is targeting the fleet golf car market with a pair of lithium battery powered golf cars. What is disruptive about lithium powered fleet golf cars is that their battery packs can last twice as long as the lead acid based battery packs currently in use. Historically, fleet golf car leases have been closely linked to battery pack life. When the battery pack is ready for replacement, a new fleet of golf cars is leased. Lithium powered golf cars could drastically change this time frame, and, over a relatively short period of time, the demand for fleet golf cars.

This issue is discussed in more depth in a new article posted on www.smallvehicleresource.com.

New Small Task-Oriented Vehicle (STOV) Study from SVR Forecasts Significant Growth

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Small Task-Oriented Vehicle (STOV) market at the Edge Of Significant Transformation & Growth in Next Five Years

In a new market study on the small vehicle market, Small Vehicle Resource (SVR), LLC predicts significant growth over the 2015-2019 period. The market research reveals four trends coming together that will result in market gains of between 8%-12% in the forecast period and an industry value in the range of $20-$25 billion at retail. These trends are:

Growing appreciation in a highly diverse market for the effectiveness of small vehicles specifically designed to meet individual segment needs (small, task-oriented vehicles (STOVs);

Superior product development in drive trains (AC electric plus the addition of EFI and hybrid drives in many new market segments) and automotive-type components, which heightens performance capabilities and raises the bar in the cost/benefit trade-off;

Critical improvement in distribution and sales systems that cater to manufacturers’ non-traditional markets—in conjunction with,

Increased use of the internet-based information to drive sales.

“Much better economic performance for the last three quarters of 2014 and a strong positive outlook for 2015, provides the launching pad for SVR’s positive forecast for 2015-2019,” states Steve Metzger, SVR Managing Director. “The drag on industry growth from the 2008/09 recession and subsequent slow recovery appears to be over,” he went on to say. Further, Metzger explains, “With the exception of fleet golf cars, where demand is stagnant at best, the privately-owned (primarily personal transportation vehicles), utility vehicle, and off road segments should all see gains in mid-single digits to low double digits range over the next five years.” The report notes that the stability of the golf-related market offers to golf car manufacturers the cash flow breathing room to transition to non-golf segments.

Marc Cesare, SVR Managing Director adds, “We put special emphasis on the off-road market in this report, because it has become the competitive vortex for golf car manufacturers seeking new markets, the powersports industry, and traditional manufacturers of work related utility vehicles.” “The spectrum of off-road solutions has greatly expanded,” Cesare notes, “as manufacturers seek growth by broadening their product lines and targeting market sub-segments with models tailored for specific end-use applications.”

The new study, the seventh in the series of studies produced by SVR since 2000, covers utility, off-road, and personal transportation vehicles, and fleet golf cars.

The study is entitled, “The Small, Task-Oriented Vehicle Market: Greater Product Diversity Opens New Avenues of Market Competition–Trends from 2010; Forecasts to 2019. For additional, detailed information see our SVR STOV Market Study Brochure or contact:

Steve Metzger at smetzger@smallvehicleresource.com or (914) 293-7577

Delta-Q Technologies Launching New Charger for Burden Carriers & UTVs

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The new QuiQ 1500 battery charger from Delta-Q Technologies.

Delta-Q Technologies will be revealing their new QuiQ 1500 battery charger for electric burden carriers and utility vehicles at ProMat 2015 in March. ProMat is the largest expo for manufacturing and supply chain professionals in North America.

The QuiQ 1500 is a higher power version of the original QuiQ 1000 that is found in many electric utility vehicles used in material handling. The QuiQ 1500 allows users to charge existing battery packs up to 30 percent faster than the QuiQ 1000 or equip machines with a bigger pack and still meet a 5- or 8-hour charging time requirement. The QuiQ 1500’s compact design matches the exact dimensions and mounting configuration of the existing QuiQ 1000, allowing swift replacement of any existing QuiQ charger. With a standard North American 110V AC power source, the QuiQ 1500 provides 1200 watts of output power, and at 220 or 230 VAC, 1500 watts of output power. The new charger will be available in 48V and 72V models. Sample units will be available in April 2015, with full production beginning in June 2015.

Learn more: PRWeb.com

Club Car Awarded National Contract for Utility, Transportation & Golf Vehicles

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Carryall 2 Electric from Club Car is one of the vehicles covered by the newly awarded contract.

Club Car has won a national contract from U.S. Communities for utility, transportation and golf vehicles and related accessories, equipment, parts and services. U.S. Communities is the leading national government purchasing cooperative, providing government procurement resources and solutions to local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education institutes, and nonprofits looking for the best overall supplier government pricing. More than 55,000 registered agencies, education institutions and nonprofits utilize U.S. Communities contracts to procure

The lead agency on the bid solicitation for the contract was the City of Kansas City, MO. This is the first time the organization has awarded a contract in this category and it is for three years with two one year renewal options. Vehicles covered in the contract include:

Carryall® utility vehicles. (4x2s and automatic 4x4s and two- and four-passenger models.)
Carryall® LSVs. Street-legal on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less in most states.
Transporter™ transport vehicles. (Four- to eight-passenger.)
Villager™ transport vehicles. (Four- to eight-passenger.)
Precedent® golf cars.
Café Express hospitality vehicles.
Service parts factory direct.

Learn more: Virtual-strategy.com

Comment: This is a nice contract to win. It effectively shuts out the competition when the member agencies want to purchase these types of vehicles. They don’t have to put out request for proposals (RFP) and obtain quotes from multiple vendors. By avoiding the RFP process, purchasing through this contract makes the process faster for both the buyer and seller.

Ashok Leyland Plans for Electric Version of Dost Mini-truck

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The current ICE powered Dost from Ashok Leyland may get an electric brethren.

India-based Ashok Leyland is working on an electric version of their Dost light commercial vehicle. A prototype was recently revealed along with electric versions of a larger truck and a bus. The Dost will be undergoing testing by the company to validate the concept. There is no timetable for when the vehicle will be commercially available. Learn more: Thehindu.com

Delta-Q Technologies Launches New Charger for Utility Vehicles

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Marc Cesare

Delta-Q Technologies used the recent expo, The Rental Show 2015, to launch a pair of new electric vehicle battery chargers, the IC650 Industrial Battery Charger for aerial lifts and the QuiQ 1500 for utility vehicles. According to the company,

The QuiQ 1500 allows users to charge existing battery packs up to 30 percent faster than the QuiQ 1000 or equip machines with a bigger pack, meeting a 5- or 8-hour charging time. The QuiQ 1500 is compact and matches the exact dimensions and mounting holes of the existing QuiQ 1000, allowing swift replacement of any existing QuiQ charger. In addition, it can be used as an additional, off-board charger to charge battery packs faster.

The chargers have charging profiles for a range of popular batteries from brands such as Discover Energy, Fullriver, Interstate, Trojan and U.S. Battery. The company also provides generic profiles for different battery types and Amp hour ranges. Learn more: Delta-q.com

Polaris Acquires Hammerhead Off-Road

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The Hammerhead GTS Platinum off-road go-kart.

Polaris Industries announced the acquisition of HH Investment Limited, a Shanghai-based company that manufactures off-road go-karts, light-utility and electric utility vehicles, which are sold under the Hammerhead Off-Road brand name in the US. In addition to its main manufacturing facility in Shanghai, Hammerhead has a sales, distribution and light-assembly operation in Dallas. The company also has some private label agreements with other OEMs. Hammerhead Off-road will continue to operate as a standalone entity. Learn more: Polaris.com

Comment: The acquisition fits many of the strategic objectives that Polaris has including growing their international revenues and expanding into electric vehicles. The addition of go-karts further extends the breadth of Polaris’ offerings of off-road vehicles from work to recreational applications as well as in terms of customers and price points. Their product line retails for between $1,000 and $3,500 and some of them are go-karts for kids. The assembly operation in Texas may also prove useful for serving the growth of UTVs in the southern tier of the US. Even though the company will operate as a standalone entity, it will be interesting to see if some Polaris dealers start picking up the product line. Hammerhead could benefit from the extensive Polaris dealer network.

Renault Debuts Twizy Delivery Concept

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The Twizy Delivery Concept vehicle from Renault.

Renault has introduced a concept delivery vehicle based on their Twizy two seat passenger vehicle. The Renault Twizy Concept has a specially-modified short-cab big enough for just the driver. Instead of a second seat behind the driver as in the regular production Twizy — or the small cargo-carrying space found in the single-seat Twizy Cargo — the Delivery concept features a flat pickup-style bed onto which a tiny two-wheeled trailer is hitched. A one meter square cargo box fits on the rear trailer platform which is rigidly attached to the front. The vehicle has six wheels instead of four and the middle axle provides motive power. The vehicle will be used in a pilot project in Paris to test the viability of using the vehicle for deliveries where larger vehicles can’t go. Learn more: Transportevolved.com

Comment: The vehicle, although small, looks like it might be slightly oversized for its intended use and maneuvering the six-wheeled vehicle in tight spots might be difficult. It will be interesting to see how the pilot project turns out. The article notes that the passenger version has very low sales but I think that requirements for a passenger vehicle are much more demanding. A smaller, niche application such as “final kilometre” delivery may prove to be a more viable market for the Twizy vehicle platform, but perhaps not with this specific design.

Nashville Approves LSV Law For Taxis

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The city council of Nashville, TN recently passed an ordinance allowing LSV taxis on local public roads with speed limits up to 35 mph. The regulations stipulate that “Vehicles, which must undergo regular safety inspections, will be allowed to carry no more than seven passengers and travel no greater than 25 miles per hour. Passengers 12 years or younger will have to be accompanied by an adult. Drivers will not be allowed to provide alcohol to passengers.” The regulations affect companies like Joyride Nashville that currently has a fleet of 24 vehicles and will be adding 12 more. Learn more: Tennessean

Comment: Downtown city taxi services have turned into a small niche for the LSV market. While there can often be some push back from highway speed taxi services, these LSV fleets are taking root in different cities around the US. They sometimes generate revenue through advertising rather than passenger fares. For cities, the smaller vehicles, typically electric powered, vehicles can reduce congestion, noise and pollution in crowded downtown areas or tourist destinations.

Club Car Introduces The Precedent Stretch PTV

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The new four person Precedent Stretch PTV from Club Car.

Club Car has launched a new personal transportation vehicle (PTV), the Precedent Stretch. The four-person vehicle includes four forward-facing streets, an optional19-mph Private Use Speed Option, 3.7-hp IQ Plus™ electric motor, a 350-amp controller and ERIC, a new charging system. ERIC issues audio and visual alerts to inform owners when charging begins, when the car is fully charged, when the battery state of charge drops below 20% and 10%, and of any problems with the charger. The Precedent Stretch, purposely built for four people, also features a tubular aluminum frame, spacious bagwell and heavy-duty SportDrive™ Steering and Suspension System. The full press release follows the comment.

Comment: What I find interesting about this new vehicle is that it is a PTV and not an LSV. PTVs have a higher maximum speed than what is typically found for golf cars, 19 mph vs 15 mph, but is not as fast as an LSV, 25 mph. The vehicle is clearly aimed at gated communities where people would like to travel faster but don’t want the added expense of an LSV, which must have a set of mandated safety features. This choose may indicate that Club Car finds more potential in the non-LSV personal transportation market in gated communities than in the market for LSVs for use on local public roads.

Press Release

Club Car Introduces New Precedent Stretch PTV (Personal Transportation Vehicle) with 19-mph Private Use Speed Option
New Four-Passenger Electric Vehicle Is Great for Neighborhood Transportation, Small Businesses and Golf

Club Car introduces the versatile new Precedent Stretch personal transportation vehicle (PTV). It combines unsurpassed power and durability with four forward-facing seats and 35 additional inches of legroom, for people who want to take the long view. In the Precedent Stretch PTV, drivers don’t have to leave a friend or relative behind or sitting on a rear-facing seat. “The vehicle’s automotive design fosters conversation, camaraderie and comfort. It delivers the most front and rear legroom of any four-passenger vehicle in its class,” says Product Manager David Woodward. The Precedent Stretch PTV comes with a maximum speed of 15 mph or with Club Car’s 19-mph Private Use Speed Option, making it ideal for neighborhood transportation.

Engineered to Carry the Load

Many small four-passenger vehicles are simply traditional golf cars that have been extended by a third-party provider, often putting the OEM warranty at risk. The Precedent Stretch PTV was designed to carry the additional length and weight. The car is equipped with 10 percent more battery capacity, providing more range than competitive vehicles. The system features:

A rugged 3.7-hp IQ Plus™ electric motor
A 350-amp controller
A heavy-duty solenoid
Four-gauge battery wires
Regenerative brakes that capture and store energy used during braking, extending the miles per charge

Durable, Environmentally Safe and Family-friendly
The vehicle uses no gas and releases no carbon emissions. It comes with:

A spacious bagwell for groceries, gear or two sets of clubs.
An exclusive rustproof, corrosion-resistant, 2-x-3-inch tubular aluminum frame that makes it more impact resistant than steel frames.
An extended Monsoon Top™ Canopy with built-in drains that channel water to the ground.
A heavy-duty SportDrive™ Steering and Suspension System for a smoother ride and better handling.
An integrated rear-passenger grab bar, a five-panel mirror and improved rear braking for safety.
One of the longest, most inclusive warranties in its class.

Heads Off Charging Errors
The Precedent Stretch PTV has a new charging system known as ERIC (Efficient. Reliable. Intelligent. Connected.).
“The solid-state, high-frequency system works globally, keeps charging even during voltage fluctuations, and outsmarts common user errors,” says Woodward.
ERIC issues audio and visual alerts to inform owners when charging begins, when the car is fully charged and of any problems with the charger. On-car dash lights alert drivers when the battery state of charge falls to 20 and then 10 percent charge so they don’t get stranded.
Unlike chargers in competitive vehicles, ERIC continuously monitors the battery pack after charging and delivers power as needed. It can be charged through a standard 110-volt outlet, and comes with a standard single-point watering system that makes battery maintenance quick and easy.

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