Wheego's Highway Capable LiFe Electric Vehicle
LSV manufacturer Wheego has started selling their LiFe electric vehicle to customers. The two-passenger vehicle is capable of speeds up to 65 mph and has a range of 100 miles. The car is priced at $32,995, on par with the Nissan Leaf, but for two passengers instead of four. Learn more: Blogs.WSJ.com
Farm Industry News recently published a generally favorable review of the new John Deere Gator 825i. Not surprisingly, the review is based on the vehicle’s performance in an agriculture setting. What I like about the review is that it evaluates the vehicle based on application specific performance e.g. straddling 30 in. corn rows. The author suggested the vehicle would be a good alternative to a used pickup truck. Here is a quick summary of the review.
Some of the good:
Needs improvement:
The California Air Resources Board recently announced that $2 million will be available for the California Energy Commission’s 2011 clean vehicle rebate program. Unfortunately for the LSV market, only vehicles that can carry four passengers and operate at highway speeds will be eligible for the rebates. Program managers report that in 2010 $1.4 million in vehicle rebates were distributed for 213 vehicles including:
While I’ve come across many instances of gas and electric STOVs replacing full-size pickup trucks, I’ve seen fewer stories about electric LSVs replacing gas UTVs but in the past few weeks I came across two. In both cases the electric vehicle offered cost advantages and a better set of features for the end use application.
The first is from Albany, GA where the local police department replaced a 12 year old gas powered Kawasaki Mule with a GEM for use in parking enforcement. Learning from the local US Marine base experience and evaluation, the department estimates that they will save about $6,000 a year in gas, oil change and maintenance expense each year. The GEM also has better features for parking enforcement including an enclosed cab, rear and side mirrors, warning lights, a fan for summer use and a heater for winter use. Learn more: Albanyherald.com
In the second instance, River Falls Municipal Utilities in Wisconsin replaced a John Deere Gator with a Polaris NEV. In this case, they tested the vehicle for several weeks by performing tasks around the wastewater treatment plant. The utility also received a $5,009 grant from Wisconsin Electric Power. Management sees the vehicle being used for both off-road and on-road uses such as driving downtown for supplies or town meetings. A cab enclosure will be purchased in the future to enable year round use. Learn more: Riverfallsjournal.com
Curtis Wins Award For Cab System – Curtis Industries was recently chosen by Car & Driver Magazine to receive the SEMA Global Media Award for the PathPro SS cab system for the Polaris Ranger UTV. The year round enclosure can easily mount to the factory installed Roll-Over Protection System. Learn more: blog.curtisindustries.net
Case IH Announces UTV Rebate – Effective as of January 1st of this year, Case IH added their Scout utility vehicles to the rebate program program for Iowa Farm Bureau members. Purchasers of new utility vehicles will be eligible for a $300 rebate. Learn more: Iowafarmbureau.com
Kandi Technolgies Trades On NASDAQ Global Market – As of last Monday, January 11th, Kandi Technologies switched from being traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market to the NASDAQ Global Market. The Chinese exporter of the CoCo LSV as well as gas and electric UTVs, ATVs, go-karts and other small, task-oriented vehicles trades under the symbol KNDI. Learn more: Motorsportsnewswire.wordpress.com
E-Z-GO Partners With Dixie Sales Company To Expand Service Network – E-Z-GO has partnered with Dixie Sales Company to offer qualified outdoor power equipment dealers the opportunity to become E-Z-GO authorized sales and service centers. As such, they will be able to offer parts and accessories for E-Z-GO and Cushman vehicles. Dixie Sales Company is an independent, full service, value added distributor. Learn more: Benzinga.com
Kubota Introduces Two UTVs in Australia – Kubota Tractor Australia recently introduced the diesel powered RTV1140 and the gas powered RTV500. The RV1140 features four-wheel drive and a 28.5 hp engine along with 4-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, hydrostatic power steering and hydraulic bed lift as standard. The smaller RTV500 features electronic fuel injection, a 200 kg payload and can easily be transported to work areas. Learn more: Fatcow.com.au
AVID Vehicles e-Warrior
AVID Vehicles of the UK Launches Electric UTV – AVID Vehicles based in Cramlington, UK recently launched their e-Warrior electric utility vehicle. The vehicle features dual DC motors, a range of 40 miles, a top speed of 25 to 30mph and a 250kg payload. MSRP is US$15,600. The company plans to produce 500 vehicles in 2011 and 1,000 in 2012. Learn more: Greencarcongress Journallive.co.uk
LSV Maker Wheego Unveils Full-speed EV – Wheego Electric Cars, manufacturer of the Wheego Whip LSV, will unveil the two-seat subcompact Wheego LiFe at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November. The car has a 100 mile range, 20 kWh Li-ion battery pack and a MSRP of $32,995. Learn more: Greencarcongress.com
GreenTech Automotive (GTA), announced at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) that the company will be offering the first 100,000 MyCar NEVs to consumers at a discounted price of $10,000. Production of the MyCar is expected to begin in the US in mid-2011, and eventually plans on employing up to 5,000 workers and produce five different models. The discounted price is aimed at overcoming the affordability hurdle for electric vehicles. Learn more: Finance.yahoo.com
ePower Truck XT320E
ePower Trucks based in the UK recently launched the ePower Truck XT320E, a battery powered vehicle with a 1,000 kg payload. The vehicle features a 13kw battery pack and an estimated range of 60 miles. Battery packs can be swapped out using a forklift and an additional battery pack can be added to extend the vehicle’s range. The vehicle costs an estimated $47,000 US.
The company expects to expand the product line in the future with three more electric trucks. ePower Trucks is a division of LiftSafe, the lifting and handling equipment supplier and specialises in the supply of golf buggies, electric trucks, electric vehicles, electric tugs and a wide range of utility vehicles. Learn more: Logisticsmanager.com
Earlier this week the California Air Resources Board announced they would start taking rebate applications for their Agricultural UTV Rebate
Project which targets electric UTVs for agricultural operations. Eligible vehicles will qualify for a rebate of 15% of MSRP up to $2,500. Manufacturers currently with models eligible for rebates include Bad Boy Enterprises, Barefoot Motors, Polaris Industries, John Deere and ZAP. Rebates for models on the eligible list range from $825 to $1,950.
To receive a rebate the purchaser must be classified as a California agricultural operation. The statewide program is being administered by the San Joquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and has nearly $1 million available for rebates. Rebates are given on a first come first serve basis and there is no limit on the number of vehicles for which a purchaser can receive a rebate. Only new vehicles qualify.
A rough calculation, assuming an average rebate of around $1,600 per vehicle, means over 600 vehicles will be covered by the program. This would represent a sizable share of the electric UTV market. Learn more: Valleyair.org
Following an ongoing market trend of manufacturers producing street legal utility vehicles, GatorMoto Utility Vehicles recently announced the Electro Bubble Buddy Mountaineer LSV.
With a 72 volt engine with DC converter to 12 volts, 5 speed electric transmission, front axle independent suspension, integrative rear axle with leaf spring and vibration absorber, rack and pinon steering with automatic rocker compensating function and front disc brake and rear drum brake with hydraulic system, this vehicle is the choice of municipalities, police, EMTs, fire departments and other applications which require more torque in the engine. It can also be ordered with optional LED emergency light bars. Other available options include custom graphics, custom body color, storage cover, quick charging system, DVD player with monitor, and back up cameras.
The Electro Buddy Mountaineer LSV features a Curtis Controller, Trojan 105 batteries, 12:49:1 axle ratio for climbing, AM/FM/CD with speakers, two-tone paint scheme, rear lockable trunk, DOT approved seat belts, AS-1 certified windshield, and 2 on board charger units. Black vinyl captains chairs with adjustable backs and adjustable formed arm rests provide comfortable seating for up to four passengers.
The vehicle has an MSRP of $17,900.00 and the 5 kW model is eligible for the 10% federal tax credit. Learn more: Gatormotoutilityvehicles.com