The ongoing development of battery power holds significant potential for small, task-oriented vehicles (STOVs). Most of the development and most discussion and analysis of battery development is in the context of powering on-road vehicles. The crumbs off the table of this development process, however, could have a significant impact on market development of small, task-oriented vehicles.
STOVs are certainly not confined to electric power, but given the trend toward electric power in all but the off-road UTV (and derivatives) market–and that is coming, too–as well as the market drivers pushing toward electric, a focus on electric power is hardly unjustified.
In a presentation at the Industrial Utility Vehicle Technology Conference, I outlined four areas of product development that were needed to encourage market growth of the small, electric vehicle market.
- Greater range, moving from 30-40 miles to 100 miles;
- More power, deliverable through the adaptation of AC electric motors;
- Faster speeds, increasing from the upper limits now of 25 m.p.h. to the 40-45 m.p.h. range;
- Better ergonomic features, including all-weather driveability.
The ensuing years have seen improvements in all categories. – Steve Metzger
