Category Archives: Market entrants

Indian Start-Up Gets Funds For Low-Cost Rural UTV

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Evomo Research & Advancement Pvt Ltd of India has received funds from a local business incubator for development of a low-cost rural utility vehicle. Started in 2010, Evomo, will use the unspecified amount of funds to get to a stage where it can take preorders for actual sales. The management, in part, sees the vehicle as a safety issue since it can replace many of the dangerous makeshift vehicles that are now used in many rural areas.

The Evomo UTV is an off-road vehicle for both passengers and goods in rural areas. Management claims the vehicle is legal, less polluting, handles rough terrain, can be transformed from people carrier to goods carrier and performs some of the agricultural functions like pumping water and carrying cargo. Powered by a diesel engine it has a top speed of 50-60 km/hour.

Learn more:  VCCircle.com

Bad Boy Mowers Expands: Targets UTV Market

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Intimidator multi-terrain vehicle from Bad Boy Mowers

Bad Boy Mowers of Arkansas has announced plans to hire more than 200 people in the next three to five years as the company expands it’s offerings in the UTV market. The manufacturer of lawn mowers also started producing utility vehicles several years back but has moved more aggressively into the UTV market with the launch of the affiliated company and brand, Intimidator in 2011. The company spent $7.5 million to expand their plant for the new product line.

The Intimidator series features a 1,600-pound payload and a 2,100-pound towing capacity. The company will be producing 10 new multi-terrain vehicles, as they like to call them, expanding the total number of models they offer to 16. The Intimidator product line includes diesel, gas and electric versions. Previously, under the Bad Boy Mower brand the company has also offered a range of UTVs including some that are LSV compliant UTVs. Learn more:  PBCommercial.com

Comment:  And the competition in the UTV market continues, this time in the work UTV segment. Creating a new brand is probably the best way to go as UTVs do not initially come to mind with the name Bad Boy Mowers. There could also be some confusions and possibly even legal issues with the Bad Boy Buggies brand owned by E-Z-GO. However, the company should still be able to leverage the Bad Boy Mower dealer network, which at first glance seems concentrated in the Midwest and East, to grow the Intimidator line. Distribution is key in this market as so many manufacturers entered from adjacent markets like powersports, farming, power equipment, golf, etc. They often can reach parts of the market or certain segments with their traditional distribution networks but then have trouble expanding further.

Mixed Reviews for the Yamaha Viking

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Yamaha’s new Viking utility vehicle

The new 2014 Yamaha Viking UTV received both positive and negative reviews from a mix of dealers who saw the vehicle in person and consumers commenting online about the various features of the vehicle.  In general, dealers sound more positive about the vehicle and see it as a step forward as Yamaha moves on from their Rhino offering. For dealers they find the value of the vehicle appealing. The three person seating capacity and other features make for a vehicle that can crossover from recreation to hunting to work. The versatility also comes at a nice price point for dealers, $11,499, the same as the 2013 Rhino. The dealers also liked Yamaha’s plans to introduce a new model for each of the next five years. Consumers were hoping the vehicle would be powered by a new engine rather than the modified version of the Rhino engine that is being used. Learn more:  Powersportsbusiness.com

Comment:  Once the Viking actually starts being sold and used by consumers the real assessment of the vehicle will be made. Nonetheless, the new Viking from Yamaha and plans for new model introductions annually is another sign of increasing competitiveness in the growing UTV market. With the likes of Honda, Arctic Cat, John Deere and Can Am all adding new models or whole new product lines, consumers should be the real winners in the long run as the competition drives new feature innovation and value pricing.

Honda Starts Pioneer UTV Production in South Carolina

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Governor Nikki Haley helps Honda kick-off production of the new Honda Pioneer UTV

Honda held a big event at their South Carolina manufacturing facility to mark the start of production of their new 2014 Pioneer UTV. Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina was in attendance. The company has added 65 jobs specifically for the new product line and will be investing a total of $27 million over the next few years. The company is also celebrating its 15th year of producing powersports products at the facility where ATVs and engines are also made.

The Pioneer lineup includes the 700 and 700-4 which features convertible seating. Both are a crossover type side-by-side for use in recreation and work applications. The vehicles replace the Big Red UTV and will be available starting in August and September at approximately 900 dealers nationwide compared to 500 for the Big Red.  Learn more:  Powersportsbusiness.com

Comment:  From my point of view the interesting part of this story is the significantly larger number of dealers that will be selling the Pioneer. I speculate that more Honda dealers are seeing the UTV market as a good growth opportunity that they want to take advantage of, and they believe the new offering from Honda will be appealing to their customers. I believe the Pioneer offers some innovations that differentiate it in the market more so than the Big Red model did.

Renault Offers Twizy Cargo for Commercial Use

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Renault’s Twizy Cargo for urban commercial use

France-based Renault is modifying their commuter vehicle, the Twizy Z.E., to be used as a small commercial vehicle for cargo transport. Whereas the Twizy Z.E. features two seats with the passenger behind the driver, the Twizy Cargo will be a one-seater with cargo space. Both are electric powered vehicles. With 6.53 cubic feet of cargo space and a 165 lb payload the vehicle is best used for small package delivery in urban environments. The top speed of the Twizy 45 Cargo is limited to 27 mph which means in some European countries a driver doesn’t need a license. The Twizy 80 Cargo has a top speed of 52 mph and requires a licensed driver.  Durability issues with the vehicle raise concerns about the ability of the vehicle to withstand more demanding commercial usage. Learn more:  Plugincars.com

Comment:  Europe and some other regions have relatively more relaxed vehicle regulations than the US when it comes to smaller vehicles such as the Twizy.  With their older cities and narrower streets, they arguably have a greater need for them as well. Thus, the market and regulatory bodies have responded with a variety of vehicles and vehicle classifications to meet the market needs. Europe will continue to be a more fertile ground than the US for these low speed vehicles in the foreseeable future unless US regulations change. This is one reason why Polaris in recent years has made acquisitions in the European market and sees potential for their GEM brand internationally.

LSV Manufacturer GreenTech Automotive to Make Highway Capable EV

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GreenTech Automotive plans to produce a highway capable electric sedan

GreenTech Automotive (GTA), the Virginia-based manufacturer of the MyCar LSV, is partnering with China-based JAC to build a 5-person electric powered sedan. JAC’s Rejoice platform will be used for the vehicle which will likely feature a 19 Kwh lithium battery power source and have a range of over 100 miles. According to executives they have distribution agreements in place to sell 30,000 vehicles over three years. Vehicle assembly will be carried out in Mississippi at the same facility as the MyCar with a dedicated new facility for the sedan in the plans. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2013. There is no information on the pricing of the vehicle.

Comment:  This is another LSV manufacturer that is trying to make the move from producing LSVs to producing highway capable EVs. None have met with any great success so far. From what we’ve seen, the sales of the MyCar has not met the hype about the company. Given the sales levels of the Nissan Leaf which is produced by a well-established company with an extensive distribution network, 30,000 units in three years for this sedan appears to be very optimistic.

Bad Boy Mowers Launches New Line of UTVs

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Bad Boy Mowers Intimidator XD4 UTV

Bad Boy Mowers New Intimidator XD4 UTV

Bad Boy Mowers has launched a new lineup of utility vehicles under the Intimidator name. The three vehicle lineup features three different power plants, a 1000cc diesel, a 750 cc gas and a 48 volt electric model. Key features of the models incllude:

  • 1,600 lb payload
  • Steel frame
  • Shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive
  • 10.25″ slop on brake rotors and with dual piston calipers
  • Four wheel independent suspension
  • 27″ tires with 14″ aluminum alloy
  • 10 inches of travel at each wheel
  • Colors:  orange, military (OD) green, midnight metallic black or Mossy Oak™ camouflage

Learn more:  Intimidator4x4.com

Gridtential Energy: Applying Silicon Valley Manufacturing Techniques To Batteries

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Gridtential Energy is a startup battery manufacturer that is applying chip and hard-drive manufacturing processes to lead acid batteries. The techniques are being used to bond active material to the battery plates as opposed to pasting or printing it on them.  The advantage is that the active layer is less likely to separate from the plates so the battery last longer. In addition the active layer is much thinner for more efficient charging and discharging that reduces energy loss to heat buildup. The battery is also lighter. According to management “…the battery can be charged and discharged more than a regular battery, and can be charged and discharged to 80 percent of its capacity. In contrast basic lead acid batteries are more commonly charged and discharged closer to 40 to 50 percent of their capacity in order to make them last longer.”

The company recently received $1 million in funding from the Roda Group. In the early stages of development, the technology is not expected to be commercialized until 2016. The company is targeting the golf car, forklift and wheelchair markets first.

Learn more:  Gigaom.com

Bobcat Launches New UTVs with PTO Feature

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New Bobcat 3600 and 3650 UTVs co-developed with Polaris

New Bobcat 3600 and 3650 UTVs co-developed with Polaris

Bobcat has launched the 3600 and 3650 utility vehicles, the latter features powert take-off (PTO) attachments. The vehicles are similar to the recently introduced Brutus line from Polaris that the companies co-developed. Both the 3600 and 3650 feature a 24.8 hp Yanmar diesel engine, hydrostatic drive and a top speed of 30 mph. They also have 4×4 and AWD capabilities. The 3650 offers more attachments including PTO attachments: snowblower, mower, angle broom and non-PTO attachments snowblade, pallet fork and bucket. A spreader and sprayer are available for both. Other comparative features for the models include:

  • 1,250 lb cargo box capacity for both models
  • 2,200 lb towing capacity for the 3600 vs 2,000 lb for the 3650
  • 500 lb in lift and 2 feet in height  capacity for the 3650 attachments
  • Factory cab comes standard with heat and air
  • MSRPs of $15,000 for the 3600 and $25,000 for the 3650

Learn more: Equipmentworld.com

Polaris Launches BRUTUS Utility Vehicle Line for Commercial Segment

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The New BRUTUS Line of Commercial UTVs from Polaris

Polaris Industries has introduced their BRUTUS line of utility vehicles for the commercial work segment. Their first purpose-built commercial vehicle line offers front-end power take-off capability. The product line includes the BRUTUS, BRUTUS HD and BRUTUS HDPTO models with MSRPs of $15,999, $17,999 and $23,999 respectively. Developed as part of their partnership with Bobcat, Polaris will manufacturer the vehicles while Bobcat will provide an assortment of attachments. Key features of the vehicles include:

  • 24 hp diesel engine
  • Front-end power take-off option powered by the vehicle’s engine
  • Hydrostatic transmission
  • Treadle pedal that allows travel in forward or reverse without shifting gears
  • 6 inch of suspension travel
  • On-Demand True All-Wheel Drive
  • 1,250 pound cargo capacity and 2,000 lb towing capacity
  • Pro-Tach attachment system for the HD and HDPTO models
  • PTO powered attachments:  angle broom, finishing mower and snow blower and hydraulically-powered attachments:  snow blade, pallet forks and materials bucket
  • Enclosed cab with heat, defrost and AC is standard on the HDPTO

Polaris will sell the vehicles through their existing dealership network and start shipping the vehicles in April 2013. Learn more:  Greenindustrypros.com and Polaris.com/Commercial

Comment:  This new line introduction is more evidence of the continuing trend in the STOV market of product diversification by many of the manufacturers. Polaris is a prime example, from their strength in the recreational and general work UTV markets they have expanded into more focused commercial segments with their Bobcat alliance and into electric utility vehicles and personal transportation segments with their acquisition of GEM. Golf car manufacturers have also done the same from their fleet golf car base into heavier duty off-road UTVs and into the LSV markets. The challenge these companies face is developing a distribution network for these new product lines. Typically their traditional dealer networks do not reach or only partially reach the customer base in the segments they are newly targeting. In addition, the sales process may be different such as selling UTVs to colleges and universities compared to selling to a retail customer.