What’s Cooking on the STOV: Electric Food Truck

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Marc Cesare

Highlighting some of the many applications for Small, Task-Oriented Vehicles

Chef Greg Steel and his Philly Greens food truck built on a GEM LSV.

In Philadelphia Chef Greg Steele is using a solar-powered Polaris GEM EL XD LSV as the basis for his Philly Greens food truck. With a top speed of 25 mph and range of up to 30 miles, the electric powered food truck suits his needs for urban/suburban mobility. The electric power plant cannot provide enough power for cooking as well, so he also uses a small gas generator.The Philly Greens truck started out as flatbed and then a metal frame was added followed by what looks like a stainless steel or aluminum skin. Custom paint and graphics made the truck complete.

The metal framework that provides the foundation for the custom food service area.

The GEM customized and ready for paint and graphics.

The vehicle is an integral part to Chef Steele’s goal of creating a sustainable food truck business. He offers a seasonal menu made with non-GMO, high quality, healthy food and sources ingredients locally. The menu changes frequently and includes what is referred to as a Jawn, which his website describes as “A word used by Philly cats to describe anything and everything. It fills in for another word, handy in a brain-freeze moment, or comes out as an expression of enthusiasm.” It also seems to include leafy greens and other ingredients of the moment. Other menu items include chili, nachos and recently sweet potato, coconut soup with sunflower chili, topped off with spiral cut turnip. Learn more: Phillygreens.com

Comment: Whether it is taxi services, tourist rentals or now food trucks, electric powered LSVs appear to be slowly carving out a niche in urban environments. The slower speeds, shorter distances, and limited parking space in these areas make these vehicles an ideal choice. The drive for sustainability by many local governments and citizens makes these electric powered vehicles appealing as well.

Buyer Beware: UTV Odometer Rollbacks

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Marc Cesare

A typical odometer for a UTV.

A recent story from KATV in Arkansas illustrates a potential issue when purchasing a used utility vehicle or side-by-side, fraudulent odometer rollbacks. The story follows the trail of a UTV that changed hands three times, losing a significant amount of mileage in the process. A private owner first sold the 2014 Yamaha Viking to a dealer for $9,250, but not before taking a picture of the odometer displaying 1,722 miles. The UTV was then sold as part of a group of vehicles to Gibson Auto Sales for $12,500, which turned around and sold the UTV to another private buyer fro $17,900. However, when the final private buyer bought the vehicle the odometer only showed 44 miles. Since UTVs are not licensed for road use they do not fall under the same laws as cars and trucks in the state. Therefore, when the title changes hands the mileage does not have to be recorded. In this case, no one has taken responsibility for changing the mileage, but the buyer was able to get their money refunded. The process of rolling back the mileage on a UTV can be accomplished relatively easily by purchasing a new speedometer and switching it out. They only cost one to two hundred dollars online. Learn more: KATV.com

Comment: With UTVs frequently selling for over $10,000 and even $20,000 the issue of odometer rollbacks is likely to become more prevalent not less. The majority of used UTV sales are also between private buyers, which makes it more difficult to determine if you are dealing with a reputable seller, and recoup your money if something fraudulent is perpetrated. If you are spending thousands of dollar on a used UTV, particularly one with low mileage, it is best to purchase the vehicle from someone you know, thoroughly inspect the vehicle for signs of significant use, or have a mechanic do it for you.

Google Self-driving LSVs Testing Wireless Charging

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Marc Cesare

A wireless recharging system from Momentum Dynamics.

Recent documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission indicate that Google is testing two wireless charging systems with their self-driving low speed vehicles. The systems were developed by Momentum Dynamics and Hevo Power and transfer power via a manhole size disk on the ground that the vehicle parks over. According to Momentum their 25,000W charging throughput is much larger than the standard 3,300W rate and the system works in any kind of weather. By avoiding the need to physically connect a charger to the car, the technology has the potential to make self-driving cars even more autonomous. Learn more: NBCnews.com

Comment: The cost of the charging system could be a major factor for LSV or golf cars, but there could be a lot of potential in the golf car fleet market. It would simplify the process and the faster throughput would help recharge and turnaround fleets faster at very busy courses. Even in the personal transportation market, the technology would simplify the process and help alleviate the problem of people forgetting to charge their golf cars and LSVs.

Arctic Cat FY 2016 Q3 Results

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Marc Cesare

The new 2017 Prowler 500 from Arctic Cat begins shipping this month.

The new Arctic Cat HDX 700 Crew XT for model year 2017 also ships this month.

Arctic Cat recently reported their financial results for the fiscal year 2016 third quarter. For the quarter net sales declined 14.3%, in part driven by currency headwinds and the timing of vehicle shipments compared to the prior year’s third quarter.

The following are highlights of the earnings call as it relates to the UTV/side-by-side market.

Sales of ATVs and ROV side-by-sides decreased 28.5% to $60 million from $83.9 million in the year ago quarter, in part driven by shipment timing
Softening of the overall ATV/ROV(side-by-side) retail market is a contributing factor in management’s lowering of fiscal year 2016 guidance
Management continues to emphasize improving their dealer network with additional training, marketing programs and performance metrics
Arctic Cat is planning to add 75 dealers in the next 12 months after adding 10 in the last three months
This month the company begins shipment of their new 2017 HDX 700 Crew and Prowler 500
Compared to the prior year third quarter, total ATV, ROV unit retail sales in the fiscal 2016 third quarter rose mid-single-digits versus an industry that was flat to slightly down
Management has decided to create a world-class research and development center in St. Cloud, and one focus will be to improve their engine technology
Management admitted that Wildcat vehicle sales have been hurt by their comparatively lower horsepower but that the 2017 models will “correct” that problem

Learn more: Seekingalpha.com (Earnings call transcript)

2016 PGA Show: Garia Showcases Models for the US Market

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Marc Cesare

Luxury golf car manufacturer Garia showcased three vehicles at the PGA Show that will be a focus of marketing efforts this year in the US including a golf car, utility vehicle and a people mover.

Garia’s utility vehicle now available in the US.

Garia’s utility vehicle is already in production and ready for the US market, after being a great success in the Europe according to Garia representatives. What is somewhat surprising, given the price differential between their golf cars and typical golf cars, is the relatively low price of approximately $15,000 for the base utility model compared to what is currently on the market.The base model comes with a cab but no doors, no bed sides and no powerlift. The floor model on display included all of these plus a small Webasto diesel powered heater and is priced around $18,000.

The doors feature a sliding window and a unique latching system that can hold the door open flat against the vehicle.

The Garia Utility's dash features a storage area, cupholders and a knobs for adjusting side mirrors.

The Garia Utility’s dash features a storage area, cupholders and inside knobs for adjusting side mirrors.

The underseat battery pack features a single-point watering system.

Adjustable seats in the Garia Utility.

An overhead stereo system with bluetooth connectivity is available for this model.

The utility vehicle features a 48-volt system with a 3Kw AC motor powered by six Trojan T875 batteries. A lithium battery option is available for a $5,000 premium. The vehicle features a galvanized steel frame, front disc and rear drum brakes, a 350 amp Curtis controller and a 620 kg. payload capacity. While the Garia Utility will still be more expensive than similar models on the market, management believes the quality, durability and ride of the vehicle compared to the extra cost will win over customers looking at the long-term ownership experience.

The Garia Golf Car.

Another vehicle being showcased is the Garia Golf Car which will be ready for the US market in March of this year. Some final changes are being made to the roof design which is now wider. The model is also designed so dealers can easily convert the vehicle from a two seater to a four seater. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Garia Golf Car is the marketing approach being used in the US. While priced too expensively to be a replacement for existing fleet golf cars, this model is being pitched as a fleet add-on where a course would purchase three or four for their fleet and charge extra for a luxury experience. According to Garia management some 15-20 resorts have already taken this route. This seems to be a really smart approach by Garia. Not only does it open up part of a market in which they would have a hard time competing through a traditional approach, but it is a market in which they likely will have limited competition. A course offering a select number of luxury golf cars will have a harder time selling that concept with a Club Car, E-Z-GO or Yamaha with extra bling compared to a Garia which from it’s inception has been designed and marketed to be a luxury golf car.

The new six-seater people mover from Garia.

Garia was also showcasing a six seat people mover that will be ready in June. A large order for custom vehicles for a collection of resort hotels in the Middle East gave rise to this model. While the custom version uses an aluminum chassis, the cost is prohibitive for the stock version, given the amount of aluminum needed to provide the needed stiffness for the long wheelbase. Instead a steel chassis will be used. Other changes to the floor

The six seater from Garia features a lot of legroom for occupants in the first and second rows.

The aluminum footrest for second row passengers is visible with the front seat raised.

The back two seats will be slightly narrower in the stock version to accommodate roof supports.

model pictured here is a roof and slightly narrower rear-facing seats. The base cost is expected to be approximately $16,200.

2016 PGA Show: Club Car Pushes Visage Mobile Information System

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Marc Cesare

Visage screen with food and beverage menu.

Visage screen with overview of hole.

Similar to Yamaha, Club Car did not introduce any new vehicles at the PGA Show but was touting their fleet management solution, the Visage Mobile Golf Information System. Club Car representatives claim they currently control 90% market share for these type of systems. At this point, Club Car’s Visage with a golfer facing video component is more advanced than Yamaha’s Yamatrack. The on vehicle screen allows the Visage to be used to provide a host of services to golfers and revenue opportunities to fleet managers.

Golfers can get precise yardages, hole flyovers, easy access to food and beverage options and email their scorecard to themselves. For fleet managers, merchandise and other marketing offers can be made to golfers during their many hours on the course. In addition, there are all the fleet management tools such as keeping track of vehicles, their operating performance, maintenance schedules and using geo-fencing to protect areas of the golf course. The enhanced golfer experience can also allow managers to charge higher golf car rental fees.

According to Club Car representatives, the Visage system is most in demand at resorts but they are also making inroads into private courses, where members are looking to improve their golfing experience. The system is currently being used on approximately 50,000 vehicles. Learn more: Visagegolf.com

PGA Show 2016: Yamaha Pushes Yamatrack Fleet Management Solution

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Marc Cesare

At the 2016 PGA Show Yamaha was pushing their Yamatrack fleet management system. Yamaha partnered with iGolf to develop a wireless system to provide real-time tracking, live diagnostics and golf car control for fleet managers. The system includes a GPS device that plugs into the golf car’s control unit and communicates with an enterprise level platform. Fleet operators use iGolf DNA, a web-based application to control the fleet and access vehicle information via computer, smart phone or tablet.

The iGolf DNA application includes the Yamatrack Asset Tracker that provides real-time tracking and maintenance alerts. Some the information available through the app includes:

Pace of play analysis
Fleet rotation
Amp hour totals
Battery power level
Car location history

A course’s golf car fleet can also be controlled through the app to restrict golf cars to cart paths only, lock-down a fleet, set speed and brake parameters, create geo-fencing for certain areas, set geo-fencing limitations on a car by car basis and shutdown cars. In the future, the system will include a video screen of some type at the vehicle.

While Yamaha did not introduce any new vehicles at the show, they did dress up their Personal Transportation Vehicle (PTV) with some LED lighting in the front and fancier trim around the wheels.

The redesigned front of the Yamaha gas PTV.

Fancier fender flares added to the Yamaha PTV.

2016 PGA Show: Flow-Rite Battery Steward

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Marc Cesare

Continuing the focus on battery maintenance at the PGA Show, the Flow-Rite booth featured their Battery Steward product, which combines a mobile app with scannable labels to help operators manage battery maintenance. While Flow-Rite has been using the technology in the industrial space where the batteries for forklifts are very expensive and so can be the maintenance mistakes, they are just starting to introduce the technology to the golf car market.

A partial screenshot from Flow-Rite’s Battery Steward app.

The company’s website describes four easy steps for using the Battery Steward.

Use your mobile device and identifying labels to create easy-to-follow battery care task lists.
Check off batteries by scanning the Battery Steward identifying label that has been attached to your battery.
Record and analyze important battery maintenance data through the online portal.
Identify neglected, misused, or abused batteries.

The company generates revenue by selling the scannable labels. While the product is clearly aimed at the fleet owner, I wonder if a dealer might be able to use the technology to manage a “fleet” of disparate customer vehicles. Learn more: Batterysteward.com

2016 PGA Show: Battery Watering Technologies i-Lite Sensor

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Marc Cesare

Last week I attended the PGA Show down in Orlando, FL, so this week I’ll be posting about some brand new and relatively new developments from the show that relate to the small, task-oriented vehicle markets. I’m going to kick it off with a relatively new product from Battery Watering Technologies, their i-Lite Sensor. The i-Lite Sensor uses an LED light to provide a visual indication when it is time to water the batteries. According to company, if the indication is ignored, the sensor is so smart, it can tell the operator how long the battery went without water.

The LED indicator and wiring is shown sitting on top of the battery. The indicator can be wired into the dash or other area of the vehicle for easy viewing. Green means the electrolyte level is sufficient and red indicates water is needed.

A battery from US Battery using the i-Lite Sensor showing the black valve that is inserted into the battery and connected to the watering system.

Currently, the product is only available for US Battery products but the company is developing a variant for other brands as well. Some variance with the height of the lead plates in Trojan batteries is an issue. Although, the product may work with some of the Trojan batteries, they cannot guaranty that it will work with all.

The sensor takes a reading from one cell and uses it as a proxy for the whole battery bank. According to US Battery, this method has been effective in the industrial battery market for forklifts. This approach assumes all the batteries in the pack are the same brand and type and were installed at the same time as a complete set.

The sensor is trying to address an ongoing problem with electric STOV vehicles – getting owners and operators to properly take care of their batteries. I consistently hear from dealers, battery manufacturers and watering technology companies that owners/operators are not properly taking care of batteries. This leads to a shortened battery life, an expensive consequence which makes customers angry, can reflect poorly on the battery brand and probably doesn’t endear the dealer to the customer. What is fascinating is how this problem persists despite decades of golf cars using essentially the same battery technology. The i-Lite sensor and single-point watering systems are both steps in the evolution of simplifying the whole process of battery maintenance. In effect they are an attempt to put a layer of user-friendly technology between the operator and the battery pack to improve battery performance.

John Deere Introduces New Crossover XUV590i UTVs

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Marc Cesare

John Deere has introduced new crossover UTVs, the XUV590i and the four-passenger XUV590i S4. Both models also feature a power steering variant.

“The XUV590i and XUV590i S4 four-passenger models were designed to get more chores checked off your to-do list, in a more comfortable setting,” said Mark Davey, John Deere marketing manager, Gator utility vehicles. “Outdoor enthusiasts can navigate terrain faster with a top speed of over 45 mph thanks to quick acceleration powered by a 586 cc, 32 horsepower, liquid-cooled inline twin-cylinder gasoline engine.”

The new crossover UTV from John Deere, the XUV590i.

Key features of the XUV590i include:

586cc, 32 hp, 4-cycle gas, Inline-twin engine with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and Overhead Valves (OHV)
45 mph top speed
4WD with limited slip front differential, plus locking rear differential
Fully independent front and rear suspension with 8 in. of front and rear travel
10.5″ of ground clearance
Hydraulic disc brakes
Ancla M-T or Terrahawk AT tires
400 lb. cargo box
1,100 lb. towing capacity
65 amp alternator and 12V DC outlet
Backlit digital instrument panel
Ample legroom
MSRP $9,799
Power steering version for $10,899

A four-passenger version, the XUV590i S4, was introduced as well.

Key features of the XUV590i S4 include:

4-passenger seating
586cc, 32 hp, 4-cycle gas, Inline-twin engine with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and Overhead Valves (OHV)
45 mph top speed
4WD with limited slip front differential, plus locking rear differential
Fully independent front and rear suspension with 8 in. of front and rear travel
10.5″ of ground clearance
Hydraulic disc brakes
Ancla M-T or Terrahawk AT tires
400 lb. cargo box
1,100 lb. towing capacity
65 amp alternator and 12V DC outlet
Backlit digital instrument panel
Ample legroom
MSRP $11,399
Power steering version for $12,499

Learn more: Deere.com

Comment: These new models essentially offer a faster version of the XUV560 with similar cargo box and towing capacity. They also match the speed of the XUV825i (MSRP $12,059) at a lower price, but are a smaller vehicle with less horsepower, 600 lbs. less cargo box capacity and 400 lbs. less towing capacity. I would assume that the management was hearing that customers were looking for more speed, as well as comfort in the mid-size class. In any case, this launch is another indication of the ongoing competitiveness in the utility vehicle market as manufacturers continue to churn out new models across the range of market segments.

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