Category Archives: Sales figures

Bush Hog Utility Vehicles Recalled

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Recalled Bush Hog Utility Vehicle

Recalled Bush Hog Utility Vehicle

In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission Bush Hog has voluntarily recalled their TH4400 (Trail Hand) and 4430 4X4 Off-Road Utility Vehicles.?? According to the CPSC:

The utility vehicle???s throttle cable can lock in freezing temperatures. This can cause the engine not to return to idle when the driver takes his or her foot off the accelerator pedal, posing a risk of loss of vehicle control and injury to the driver and passenger.

The recall includes approximately 850 vehicles sold from April to December 2008.?? Consumers should stop using the vehicles and bring them into a dealer for a free inspection and repair.?? As an incentive for bringing in the vehicles Bush Hog is offering a $50 check.?? Learn more:?? CPSC


Rebate & Tax Credit Pushes ZENN Price Below 10K

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As part of their Ambassador Program, ZENN is offering rebates of $4,750 off the sticker price of $15,995.?? Coupled with the $1,250 federal tax credit available in the U.S. the vehicle cost drops to $9,995.?? The ZENN rebate is available at the point of sale through June 30th of this year at the more than 40 dealers in the U.S.?? Purchasers will also receive a ZENN hat and t-shirt as the company tries to spread the word about their vehicle.?? Learn more:?? autobloggreen

In other ZENN news:?? Based on company press releases, ZENN sold 211 vehicles in 2008 compared to 184 in 2007 despite a sharp drop in sales in the last quarter of 2008 because of problems with a supplier of a drive train component and the economic downturn.

The company also commented on plans to develop a new four passenger LSV platform, the cityZENN, a highway-capable full electric vehicle, and ZENNergy drivetrains in anticipation of the commercialization of EEstor’s energy storage technology.?? Management reports that they are close to signing an agreement with an OEM as a partner in the development of these initiatives.?? Learn more:?? ZENNcars.com

Golf Car Manufacturers In the Rough

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Bloomberg News reports on the current difficulties golf car manufacturers are facing. The industry is dominated by Club Car and E-Z Go which account for nearly all the fleet sales to golf courses. Besides the recession, these companies have also been dealing with pre-existing negative trends of declining golf course construction and fewer rounds played. The former is in part a market response to record course construction in the preceding years. Some courses are turning to refurbished rather than new vehicles to lower costs.

According to the story the manufacturers have reduced their work forces by about 3% and Club Car states that “orders for new carts have fallen by as much as 20 percent.”

I have started conducting some dealer interviews for a new version of our market study covering small, task-oriented vehicles like golf cars, NEVs and utility vehicles and have identified similar themes. In addition, some dealers told me that some courses are extending by a year the leases for their existing fleets. They also report that the once tight supply of used vehicle has now swung in the opposite direction. While golf course driven demand is not likely to improve in the short term, my interviews indicate that the utility vehicle and NEV markets will provide some growth.

Yamaha To Recall & Suspend Sale Of Rhino Utility Vehicles

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Yamaha Rhino 660 without doors installed

Yamaha Rhino 660 without doors installed

Yesterday, Yamaha, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall and suspension of sales of their popular Rhino utility vehicle so dealers can make appropriate repairs.?? The action affects all the Rhino 450, 660 and 700 models sold since the fall of 2003.?? Consumers are urged not to use the vehicles until repairs have been made.

According to the CPSC:

CPSC staff has investigated more than 50 incidents involving 46 driver and passenger deaths in these two Rhino models. More than two-thirds of the cases involved rollovers and many involved unbelted occupants. Of the rollover-related deaths and hundreds of reported injuries, some of which were serious, many appear to involve turns at relatively low speeds and on level terrain.

The recall involves an estimated 145,000 vehicles:?? 120,000 of the model 450 and 660 Rhinos?? and?? 25,000 of the model 700.

Repairs to the vehicles are designed to improve handling and reduce the chances of rollover and include inserting a spacer on the rear wheels and removing a rear anti-sway bar.?? Additional hand holds and half doors will also be installed, if they have not been already.?? Yamaha can be reached at 800-962-7926 or www.yamaha-motor.com.

Learn more:?? CPSC


Smith Electric Vehicles Chooses Kansas City As Plant Site

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Later today Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corp is expected to announce that they have chosen Kansas City, MO as the site for their assembly plant. The plant will be located near the Kansas City International Airport and is expected to eventually employ 200 people within three years. The consortium involving Ford and British based Tanfield Group is expected to invest $5 million in the plant that will produce an electric version of Ford’s Transit Connect delivery vans and Smith’s Newton electric truck.

The first vehicles to be produced will be the Newtons with a third quarter launch date as the target. The company expects to produce 10,000 vehicles annually for a US market estimated to be 200,000 for delivery trucks of this size. The Transit Connect vehicles are expected to roll off the line in 2010.

The plant will be located near Kokam America Inc, a lithium ion battery manufacturer, and Fords assembly plant for Escape and Mariner hybrids. In addition, Valence Technology, battery supplier to Smith’s UK parent company, is located relatively close in Austin, TX. Learn more: KMBC.com

and bizjournal.com

In related news, Smith Electric Vehicles announced they sold their first electric Newton in the Ireland market to a building materials retailer. The company will use the vehicle for deliveries. Ireland plans to have 10% of all their vehicles be electric powered by 2020. Learn more: greencarcongress.com

Update: Smith Vehicles will receive an estimated $2 million in tax credits and $1 million in job training assistance from the Missouri state government .?? The company is leasing an 80,000 sq. ft. facility and expects to create 120 jobs by 2010.?? Learn more:?? bizjournal.com

Yamaha Touts Rhino First Responder Program

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In less than three years more than 600 Rhinos have been put into service with first responders through Yamaha’s Law Loan Program and Government Order Program according to a Yamaha press release. The first program loans the side-by-side vehicles and other products free of charge to law enforcement, fire fighters, EMTs, U.S. Border Patrol, volunteer riding groups and others, while the latter program provides discounts to government agencies. Some of the organizations participating in the programs include the: Sunwannee County Fire Rescue of Live Oak, Florida, Clearwater County Sheriff???s Department in Orofino, Idaho, San Angelo Lake & Park Police Department in San Angelo, Texas and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement Division. Learn more: PR-Inside.com

Think Inks Deal For Dutch Market

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Think Global has signed a memorandum of understanding to supply 500 Th!nk vehicles in 2009 to Elmonet for sale in The Netherlands.?? Elmonet is a subsidiary of Mobility Service Netherlands.?? The cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam are expected to be key markets.?? The Dutch government has developed a 10 million euro fund to advance the introduction of electric vehicles.

Previously in financial difficulty, Think Global has recently raised funds from a variety of sources and is looking to expand beyond Norway, it’s original market, to Europe and the US.???? Learn more:?? Cleantech.com

Electric Kandi COCO LSVs Hit The Market

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Electric Kandi COCO a new LSV for the US market

Electric Kandi COCO a new LSV for the US market

Solus International, the exclusive importer for electric Kandi COCO vehicles, reports that 100 vehicles have been imported for the US market. The marketing drive was kicked off at the 2009 NADA show in New Orleans in early January. The LSVs have a range of 50-60 miles and operates on a DC motor with a 72 volt system using lead acid batteries. The MSRP for the vehicle is $12,995.

The vehicles are manufactured in China by the Kandi Group which also produces ATVs/Quads, go-karts, UTVs, electric scooters and other vehicles. Most of these other vehicles are gas powered including a gas powered version of the COCO. Franklin Motorsports is a regional distributor for the LSV and powersports vehicles. Learn more

Comment: While in previous years we have seen LSVs manufacturers looking overseas to source parts or an entire vehicle minus the electric drive system, the latest trend has more overseas manufacturers trying to export their own complete vehicles to the US market. They are also adding to the list of LSVs that are available on the US market which, while still dominated by GEM, is becoming more competitive and seeing more marketing dollars being put into the category as a whole. It will be interesting to see how well these imports are received in the market. mcesare

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company Claims Impressive US Sales

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BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China recently reported impressive US sales for their BaoYa vehicle. The company claims 500 vehicles were sold in 2008 and that orders for 2009 have already reached 4,800. The vehicle has a top speed of 50 mph (limited to 25 mph as a low speed vehicle) and a range of 90 miles according to the company. The vehicle is priced in China at $4,500 to $5,000.

Comment: I am skeptical about these sales figures for both 2008 and 2009. The 2008 figures would mean they outsold more well known LSVs like ZENN and Tomberlin and the 2009 figure would put them on par with GEM sales, all while going largely unnoticed in the market. The performance characteristics at that price point also seem optimistic.


Urban Use Spikes Electric Scooter Sales In Canada

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Greenwit Technologies reports increasing sales of their Motorino electric scooter.?? While not the usual type of vehicles covered in this blog, scooters do rub up against some of the vehicles we cover in the urban use segment and I think it is important to track this tangential market.

Steve Miloshev, company president, estimates that a 1,000 units were sold in 2008.?? He recently made his first shipment to the US for East coast distribution and plans further expansion into Florida and California.?? He attributes fuel prices, environmental concerns and the practicality of the vehicles.?? In the article he remarks that some buyers are replacing second vehicles with the scooters and about 15% use it as their main means of transportation.?? The scooters, which reach speeds of 60km/h and can travel up to 60 kilometres on a single charge, retail between $3,700 and $5,000. Learn more