Category Archives: market trends

Kubota Introduces New X-Series UTVs

Posted on by
Reply

The new RTV-X900 from Kubota

Kubota used their dealer meeting to introduce the new X-series line of UTVs. The model lineup includes the??RTV-X900, the RTV-X1120D, and the RTV-X1100C.?????The new Kubota X-Series is the perfect combination of beauty and brawn,??? said Dan Muramoto, Kubota RTV product manager. ???We have raised the bar on styling, ergonomics, comfort and storage without giving up the durability, ruggedness and reliability that Kubota utility vehicles are known for. We???ve taken a huge leap with feature enhancements for this line, and the powertrain componentry, fit and finish, and quality of materials are arguably best-in-class.???

Key features of the vehicles include:

RTV-X900

  • 21.6 HP diesel engine
  • Hydraulic power steering
  • 2 in. hitch receivers at the front and back
  • Steel cargo dump box with 1,102 lb capacity

The new RTV-X1120D from Kubota, the deluxe model of their X series

RTV-X1120D (Deluxe model in the line)

  • 24.8 HP diesel engine
  • 29 mph top speed
  • Blue tinted halogen headlights
  • Polished alloy wheels
  • Hydrostatic steering with tilt steering

The new RTV-X1100C from Kubota with factory installed cab

RTV-X1100C

  • Factory installed cab with heating and AC
  • Roll down windows and nearly airtight cab
  • Pre-wired for antenna and two speakers

All models feature Kubota’s diesel engines and Variable Hydraulic Transmission. The Kubota RTV-X900 and X1100C replace the RTV900XT and the RTV1100, respectively, and the RTV X1120D is an incremental new model. Kubota will continue to offer the RTV400, RTV500 and RTV1140CPX in 2014.

Comment: ??With this new line-up of vehicles it looks like Kubota is trying to improve the look and passenger comforts of the vehicle. Unlike the recreational end of the market where increasing the horsepower is important, the work oriented X900 and X1100C kept the same engine size as the vehicles they are replacing but added styling and comfort features.

Road Use Regulations Roundup ??? September 2013

Posted on by
Reply

Some trends in this latest regulation roundup:

  • Municipalities are passing ordinances that not only allow LSVs but a range of utility vehicles including UTVs, ATVs and mini-trucks on public roads. The ordinances for mini trucks, which operate at higher speeds, may be the beginning of a backdoor approach to more medium speed vehicle ordinances at the local level.
  • There appears to be less concerns being raised about safety issues of the vehicles in mixed traffic.
  • Ordinances governing LSV parking were common this roundup.
  • There appeared to be less road use regulatory activity at both the state and municipal level so far in 2013.

State Level Regulations

Florida – A new golf car law went into effect that allows for the??conversion of faster golf cars – or similar low-speed vehicles – to even lower-speed cars, saving golf car owners registration and insurance fees. A one-time $40 fee is charged.

Minnesota -??A bill that would allow operation of mini trucks on local roads as passenger automobiles has been introduced in the House and Senate.

Municipal Level Regulations

Garden City, KS – The Garden City Commission drafted an ordinance which would allow micro utility vehicles (UTVs) to be operated within the city limits. The vehicles will be subject to state safety requirements such as roll cages, head and tail lights, turn signals and seat belts and will only be allowed to be operated by legally licensed drivers.

Britt, IA – The City Council is considering an ordinance to allow low speed vehicles on Main Avenue where they currently are not allowed. Some council members are concerned about safety and creating an opening for golf car use on the street.

Nederland, CO – An ordinance allowing electric golf carts was discussed.

San Antonio, TX – City Council has approved an ordinance that allows owners of NEVs to operate their vehicles on city streets with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less. Several accidents in 2006 resulted in the vehicles being banned.

Powell River, British Columbia – The Council considered a low speed vehicle ordinance. A number of cities in the province have passed similar ordinances.

Baton Rouge, LA – The city is discussing the regulation of LSV taxis. The Taxi Control Board wants them to be regulated similar to other taxis.

Medford, MN – The Medford City Council is considering an ordinance to allow residents to use golf cars, all-terrain vehicles and mini trucks on city roads.??The vehicles will need to be permitted, meet certain equipment requirements and operate on the streets only during specified hours.

North Wildwood, NJ – The City Council approved up to ??20 designated parking spaces for LSVs.??These spaces will be clearly marked and only low-speed vehicles may park in these spots.

Jascksonville Beach, FL – Council takes comments from the public on low speed vehicle parking in the city.

Santa Monica, CA – The city is trying to clarify free parking rules for electric vehicles that are tied to state issued zero emission stickers. The state rules governing the stickers narrowed the definition of eligible vehicles in such a way as to exclude LSVs, which previously had been included.

Yamaha Offers Prepaid Maintenance Program

Posted on by
Reply

Yamaha’s prepaid maintenance program is available for a range of vehicles including the Viking utility vehicle

Yamaha recently announced a prepaid maintenance program for motorcycles, scooters, UTVs and ATVs. The Y.E.S. Maintenance product will be available on new purchases and the cost can be folded into the financing for the vehicle. Yamaha claims that customers can save up to 30% compared to pay as you go maintenance. The program uses the maintenance schedule as laid out in the vehicle manual and can be purchased as a 4 year or 6 year plan. Owners will be sent maintenance reminders by Yamaha. While the program is designed to be a profit source for dealers, Yamaha corporate states that the long term win is a better relationship between dealers and customers as dealers have more frequent contact with the customer.??Learn more: Powersportsbusiness.com

Comment:?? While I believe the larger target market is for motorcycles, non-powersports dealers in the STOV market might be able to learn from a program such as this. You frequently hear complaints from golf car and LSV dealers that customers don’t know how to take care of their batteries and could get more life out of their batteries if they did. This can also lead to a negative impression of electric powered vehicles if the battery packs have to be replaced sooner than the customer expects. A prepaid maintenance program for these vehicles could lead to more profit, more customer contact and better vehicle performance.

Consumers Switching From ATVs To UTVs In Australia

Posted on by
Reply

Similar to the US market, a story out of Australia indicates that UTVs are displacing ATVs. The switch started occurring over the last four years or to five years and is expected to continue. The main reasons for the switch are safety and the ease in which users, especially older users, can get into and out of utility vehicles compared to getting onto and off an ATV. Safety is important for larger corporations and government entities supplying vehicles to workers. One dealer noted that in more rural areas and for smaller private operations ATVs are still holding their own. Learn more: ??ABC.net.au

Comment:?? This is not surprising to hear since the end user applications for STOVs have many similarities across the world, and market forces can be the same as well. UTVs can be more versatile with their cargo and seating capacity. UTVs also offer more safety features. ATVs offer a significantly lower cost and are better for narrow trails and work environments with limited space for maneuvering. ??UTVs are likely to continue to take market share from ATVs but there will always be a demand for these vehicles that are more affordable and can perform very well in specific applications that don’t require all the functionality of a UTV.

A story out of Texas talks about the versatility of UTVs and their growing use over the last ten years. The ability to hunt, work and trail ride with a UTV makes them a year round multi-use vehicle. The safety features of the UTVs and the additional skill to use an ATV is also noted. ??Learn more: ??Amarillo.com

How to Buy Used UTVs

Posted on by
Reply

UK dealer Murray Boss gives some pointers on buying a used UTV
Credit: Farmers Guardian

I came across an article out of the UK about how to approach buying a used UTV. ??Not only is the article informative but it gives me a chance to make a few comments about the used UTV market.

In talks with dealers for our various research projects, most have told us that they do not sell a lot of used UTVs. One reason is that trade-ins are not that common. There is a good chance that the buyer has really worked their current UTV very hard and there is not much value left in it, if at all. In addition a lot of used UTVs are sold directly between private owners, bypassing the dealer channel. The UTV market has also seen a large number of first-time buyers in the last few years as ATV owners switch to UTVs and entirely new customers discover the advantages of UTVs, so they have no UTVs to trade-in.

It is likely in the coming years that the used UTV market will grow. The strong growth in the market over the last few years has built a large existing population of UTVs in the market. As that population grows the number of used UTVs available is likely to grow which brings us back to the article.

The heavy workload that many UTVs experience means buyer beware and knowledgeable about what to look for when buying a second hand vehicle. The article is worth a read if you are in the market for a used UTV and offers quite a few pointers on how to evaluate a vehicle and identify any potential problems. Some of these include:

  • Looking at tire wear for clues about the suspension
  • Using vehicle hours and miles to gauge how the vehicle was used
  • Considering the simplicity of the vehicle design in the context carrying out repairs

Learn more: ??Farmersguardian.com

ARPA-E Funding More EV Battery Research

Posted on by
Reply

ARPA-E RANGE program $36 million into more EV battery technology projects.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) will award approximately $36 million to 22 projects to develop transformational electric vehicle (EV) energy storage systems using innovative chemistries, architectures and designs. While the research is predominantly targeting highway capable vehicles, any significant advancements in battery performance and/or cost reduction will work its way down to the STOV market eventually. There are already lithium battery pack options available for some STOVs with more expected to hit the market in the next one to two years. Any trickle down technology will likely impact niche markets or particular applications that require better battery performance first. For example, an organization with “green” or sustainability mandates may be willing to pay the price premium for new better performing battery packs.

The projects being funded cover a range of battery technologies including lithium, lead acid, zinc-air, metal hydride and flow batteries. Some of the projects focus on integrating the batteries into the structure of the vehicle itself and/or changing the placement of batteries to increase battery safety in the event of a collision. Others focus on developing solid state lithium battery technology that is non-flammable and safer. ??Learn more: ??Greencarcongress.com

What’s Cooking on the STOV

Posted on by
Reply

Highlighting some of the many applications for small, task-oriented vehicles:

Here are a couple more examples of the different applications for STOVs. They show the range of uses of utility vehicles and how they can be customized or accessorized to a small or large degree depending on the need of the customer and the specialized conditions under which they will be used. In the first example, you also see how once again a STOV can replace a full-size vehicle and offer both upfront and operational cost savings.

A customized Club Car XRT1550SE in operation at a potash mine.

Transport for Potash Mining Operation??– Club Car’s Custom Solutions Department has been customizing utility vehicles for use in this potash mining operation since 2007. The mining operation had previously been using full-size SUVs to transport personnel over a kilometer into the mine over challenging terrain. The SUVs were both expensive to purchase and maintain given the harsh work environment. ??Club Car customized their??XRT1550-SE four-passenger diesel utility vehicle for the application. The difficult and sometimes corrosive conditions required a number of specific features including: ??diesel scrubbers, power steering, 120 decibel back-up alarms,??heavy-duty brush guards, rear differential guards, belly pans/skid plates, CV boot guards and rock guard brake calipers for the difficult terrain. For operations in dark conditions the vehicles have complete light packages rear and front-facing spot lights on separate circuits, and digital speedometers that are legible in the dark. The cars were also equipped with sealed CVTs to keep dust and dirt off the clutch face, gel-cell maintenance-free sealed batteries, and spare tires and rims.

Over 50 of the vehicles have been used at the operation since 2007. Key benefits of the vehicles include aluminum frames that avoid corrosion, purchase price that is 20% of the full-size SUVs they previously purchased, tighter turning radius for operating in narrow tunnels, better handling in loose dirt, cheaper parts, and less oxygen use in the underground conditions than the SUVs. (The oxygen needs to be replaced as part of the mining operation.) ??Learn more: ??PRweb.com

The type of Gator the town of Greenville will use for trail maintenance.

Trail maintenance – The city of Greenville, MI will be purchasing a John Deere Gator for maintenance on the??Fred Meijer Flat River Trail. The 4×2 Gator will feature an electric motor and a larger motor. The vehicle is being funded primarily by a grant from the??Greenville Area Community Foundation and is expected to make it easier for town workers to move up and down the trail for maintenance work. ??Learn more: ??www.thedailynews.cc

Mission Golf Car to Distribute New Ford Shelby Specialty Golf Car

Posted on by
Reply

Ford Shelby GT500 Golf Car

Mission Golf Cars of San Antonio, TX has recently agreed to become a distributor for the new Ford Shelby GT500 golf car. The GT500 is the only officially licensed golf car of the Ford Motor Company. Key features of the golf car include:

  • Hand-laid fiberglass body with PPGPaint
  • SVT Inspired 12??? wheels
  • Six Standard Ford Shelby GT500 colors
  • Locking front storage trunk
  • 48v DC motor (AC drive available)
  • Vinyl and ultra suede upholstered seats
  • Turn signals, horn and emergency flashers
  • Fold-down windshield
  • Limited three-year warranty

Learn more: ??PRWeb.com

STOV Market Faces State & Local Regulatory Hurdles

Posted on by
Reply

Clendenin’s mini-truck no longer allowed on town streets and destined for auction. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? Photo credit: Kenny Kemp

A couple of recent stories illustrate the hurdles that STOVs face at the local and state level despite the vehicles being perfect for a given application. In one instance the small town of Clendenin, WV is auctioning off their mini-truck because town officials have determined it is not legal to drive the vehicle on city streets. For several years the town has been using the vehicle to haul debris and carry salt on the narrower and hillier streets where access by full-sized trucks is difficult. ??While officials and workers thought the mini-truck was “perfect” for the tasks at hand the state of West Virginia does not allow mini-trucks to be registered. The town council passed an ordinance allowing the vehicle to be used within the city but their local ordinance cannot trump state law. The town is now using a F-150 Ford pick-up which costs $75 to fill-up instead of $20 for the mini-truck which is headed for the auction block.

In the second story a disabled man who had been using a Gator to travel around the roads of the small village of Union, IL was abruptly told he could no longer use the vehicle on city streets after years of doing so. He was told it was a matter of public safety. ??While Illinois state law allows non-highway vehicles on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or less, local municipalities must pass an ordinance to do so. Proponents are using a social media campaign to encourage local officials to pass an ordinance.

Learn more: ??WVGazette.com?? ??NBCChicago.com

Commentary:?? While the trend has been towards more and more municipalities allowing a wider range of STOVs on local streets, the process is very much piecemeal. As illustrated in the second story there are also instances where use is allowed or tolerated by not officially codified by a local ordinance. The issue is local control of streets, where in theory and more than likely in practice, local officials know what is best for their town. On the other hand, statewide regulations allowing STOVs on local low-speed streets would be a big boost to the STOV market and a much more efficient regulatory approach. The use of these vehicles are not likely a priority for many municipalities, even if officials perceived no safety hazard, so the widespread passage of local ordinances will take a long time to enact.

Insights from the Texas UTV Market

Posted on by
Reply

Dealers expect new introductions like the Yamaha Viking will help continue the strong growth in the UTV market.

PowerSportsBusiness recently featured an article on UTV registrations around the US by state and a related article with data on UTV accessories. Texas had the largest number of registrations by far with nearly 4,500 registered in the first quarter of 2013. California was second with about 1,700. Now these numbers can be misleading because states can have a varying rules on whether or not a UTV has to be registered. In some cases it may depend on whether it is used on private or public land. So it may be hard to compare data state to state without knowing their individual regulations regarding UTV registration. What I found more interesting was the handful of interviews with Texas dealers that is included in the article. Here is my quick analysis of those interviews:

  • The solid growth in the UTV market is expected to continue
  • Growth is being driven by a number of factors including: ??new product introductions, local economic factors like growing oil business and good farming conditions, and continued product switching ??from ATVs to UTVs
  • While switching from ATVs is occurring a significant amount of UTV purchasers are newcomers to the market
  • Polaris is a dominant brand but others are selling well and there are indications that the Kawasaki Teryx is on the upswing
  • Whether sales are for recreation or work/utility applications??depends on the location of the dealer and the dominant customer segments in their area
  • Farmers are still driving ATV sales but are also switching to UTVs
  • Accessories can frequently add $1,500 to $3,000 or more to a UTV sale
  • Roofs, windshields and winches are key accessories being purchased