Category Archives: utility vehicles

Robotic STOVs Searching For Non-Military Markets

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Cuts in defense spending are pushing vendors of robotic mules for the military to look for non-battlefield market opportunities. While some of these vehicles can be quite large, the R-Gator from John Deere is basically an autonomous UTV. John Deere took their expertise developed for precision farming and transferred it to a Gator for military applications. One of the basic uses for these vehicles in a military setting is to carry some of the soldiers gear or additional equipment that might be too burdensome. ??For example, the R-Gator has been used in training exercises to carry 100 lb robots used for bomb disposal. The first R-Gator was used by the Navy for perimeter patrol. Typically these robotic vehicles can operate in four modes: ??autonomous, leader-follower, tele-operated and manual.

The civilian applications are potentially wide-ranging, encompassing any task that is “too dirty or dangerous” for a person to do. Manufacturers are eyeing emergency response, disaster recovery, security, fire suppression, humanitarian supply, law enforcement and agriculture applications. Learn more: ??Nationaldefensemagazine.org

Comment: ??If successful, this would join a long list of military technology that has found a fertile market on the civilian side. One related technology that is just coming to the civilian side is non-pneumatic tires for UTVs and other off-road vehicles. Polaris is one of the manufacturers trying to transfer this technology. The increasing capabilities of off-road STOVs are a good match for the autonomous technology of these vehicles that requires the ability to handle a variety of difficult terrain and obstacles.

 

Bennche: Official UTV & ATV of Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers

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Bennche: Official UTV & ATV of the Cowboys and Rangers

Texas based manufacturer Bennche has been named the official UTV and ATV of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. The vehicles will be used in various capacities by the teams during games and day-to-day operations. Fans will also be able to win a Bennche ATV as part of a prize package to a football game that will be given away to a fan this summer. ??Learn more: ??Powersportsbusiness.com

e-Ride Industries Wants to Deliver Your Mail

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e-Ride Industries EXV4, a LSV compliant utility vehicle

e-Ride Industries of Minnesota wants to provide electric powered fleet vehicles for the US Postal Service for mail delivery. The manufacturer of low speed utility vehicles states that their vehicles would save $0.90 per mile in operational costs compared to the Postal Service’s current gas powered delivery trucks that are such a familiar sight to many. There is also the reduced emissions to consider. A modified version of one e-Ride’s existing models is currently being tested by the agency. Depending on the configuration, initial costs would be between $18,000 and $30,000. With hundreds of thousands of vehicles in service, the potential market is very large for this small manufacturer. ??Learn more: ??KSTP.com

Comment:?? The appeal of this market for electric vehicles is that set delivery routes and ??central recharging at the vehicle depot make it easier to determine the range requirements for the battery pack. Shorter routes on roads with speed limits of 35 mph and under would be ideal for this vehicle. The continuous stop and go nature of this vehicle application is also an ideal use of electric power rather than an ICE. ??This type of vehicle could make a lot of sense for certain routes but the potential could be limited by vehicle speed and road use restrictions.

Yamaha Announces New Viking UTV

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Yamaha’s new Viking utility vehicle

Three person seating in the Yamaha Viking

Yamaha Motor Corp USA has announced their new side-by-side vehicle, the Viking. A key feature of the Viking is the three person seating. The??pass-through bucket seating has an center position set back 5 degrees to improve comfort with maximum shoulder room for all three occupants. The new utility vehicle also features??686cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke, SOHC, single-cylinder, 4-valve fuel-injected engine that delivers a top speed of 50 mph. A crossover vehicle, the Viking is targeted towards work and trail riding applications. Other key features include:

  • Fuel injection
  • 9.7 gallon fuel tank
  • Electric power steering
  • Driver controlled On-Command?? system, featuring 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock selections
  • ??Ultramatic??? transmission with dual speed gearing and an automatic centrifugal clutch
  • 12 inches of ground clearance
  • Full steel/composite smooth skid plate front to back and side to side
  • Assisted dump bed with 600 lb payload capacity
  • 1,500 lb towing capacity
  • Maxxis Big Horn 2.0 tires were designed specifically and exclusively for the Viking
  • 4 wheel disc brakes

The Viking will be available in August with standard models coming in Steel Blue, Hunter Green (with sun top), Red (with sun top) and Realtree AP HD camo (with sun top). ??The non-EPS models start at $11,499 MSRP while the EPS models start at $12,499 MSRP. ??A Special Edition Tactical Black model will be available in spring 2014. Learn more: ??Agweb.com

In a related note Yamaha is expanding production at the Newnan, GA facility, in part to build the new Viking utility vehicle. The company will hire 100 people to work on the vehicle. The facilities will also be producing all of the company’s ATVs. ??The US market represents 70% of their ATV sales. Learn more: ??AJC.com

Comment:?? It has been a few years since Yamaha has come out with an entirely new utility vehicle. This is another sign of the strength of this market. In the last few years all the major players are not only upgrading existing lines but pushing into new market segments: ??Yamaha with the Viking, Polaris with the Brutus, John Deere with their RSX line, etc. The additional marketing dollars and new features coming into the market should help grow the market further and offer good values for customers.

Miles Electric Vehicles Files for Bankruptcy

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Miles Electric Vehicle’s ZX40S

Miles Electric Vehicles has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company??listed assets estimated between $10 million to $50 million and liabilities estimated between $50 million and $100 million. Established in 2004, Miles produces??four LSVs including the ZX40, ZX40S, ZX40S Advanced Design and ZX40ST electric truck. The vehicles are manufactured in China. The main market for the company has been commercial, government and university fleets. Learn more: ??Inautonews.com

Homeland Security: A Good STOV Market

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US Border Patrol to purchase Kawasaki Mules

A couple of news items I came across indicate that homeland security continues to be a good market for STOVs. One involves the Army purchase of a couple of GEM LSVs. While obviously not a large purchase, these type of small volume purchases occur on a regular basis at various bases. At one time the Army had made plans for purchasing a large volume of LSVs, in the thousands, and had started that initiative before other priorities apparently squeezed out spending for them. Nonetheless, reducing petroleum use remains an important goal for the armed forces and replacing some vehicles with LSVs helps towards that goal. It is also possible that if more funds become available then larger volume purchases may start up again.

The other news item involved STOVs in action closer to actual battlefields. The??U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is planning to purchase six 4×4 Mule UTVs for their operations in??Afghanistan using a reverse bidding process. The demanding terrain in both Afghanistan and Iraq has lead to significant purchases of off-road vehicles of both the UTV and ATV variety. Among the groups using the vehicles are Special Operations forces. While the drawdown of troops in those??theaters??of operation will likely decrease the demand for those vehicles, they have proven valuable in difficult terrain and are likely to be continued to be used in other operational areas. ??Learn more: ??FBO.gov?? and??GSNmagazine.com

BRP IPO Raises $262 million

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BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) raised $262.3 million in??its initial public offering of 12,200,000 subordinate voting shares at a price of $21.50 per share. The proceeds of the offering will be used to pay down debt. The stock is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “DOO”. A further $39 million can be raised by BRP if the underwriters of the IPO exercise their options to buy an additional allotment of 1.83 million shares at $21.50 per share. BRP manufactures and markets utility vehicles under the Can-Am brand.??Learn more: ??PEHub.com

Club Car Awards Johnson Controls as a Top Supplier

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Club Car recently gave their award for??Overall Operations Excellence 2012 to Johnson Controls in recognition of being a top supplier. Johnson Controls supplies all the batteries to power Club Car’s fleet of Precedent golf cars and Carryall utility vehicles from facilities in Florence, SC. Besides providing deep-cycle lead-acid batteries, Johnson Controls is working with Club Car to develop and deploy advanced battery technologies that should be available in the next eighteen months as options for certain models..

Learn more: ??SacramentoBee.com

OEMs Donate UTVS For Oklahoma Relief Effort

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Kawasaki donated 10 Mules and Teryx UTVs for the Oklahoma relief effort.

Polaris donated an assortment of off-road vehicles for the tornado relief effort.

Kawasaki and Polaris have donated a number of vehicles to aid in the relief effort in Oklahoma following the devastating tornado. Kawasaki is??donating ten new Kawasaki Mule??? 4010 Trans4x4 Diesel and Teryx4??? 750 4×4 four-passenger UTVs to local governments, police, and fire agencies in the region. Polaris is donating ten??military ATVs, Rangers and RZRs with run-flat and non-pneumatic tires to enhance The Salvation Army???s efforts to transport food, water and other supplies to survivors. Honda is not donating any vehicles but made a $100,000 contribution to the Red Cross operations in the area as well as providing some generators for the effort. In addition, their financing arm is providing extensions on load payments and other services to help those customers impacted by the disaster. Learn more: ??Powersportsbusiness.com

Johnson Valley Recreation Area Bill Advances

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A bill that would stop the US Marine Corps from taking over the Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle recreational area has passed the Natural Resources Committee in the US House of Representatives. The bill would??designate Johnson Valley as a national off-highway vehicle recreation area but would authorize limited military use of the area. Several years ago the US Department of the Navy had begun the process of taking over nearly 366,000 of public land??near San Bernardino to use for live-fire training for the Marines. Included in that acreage is a large portion of the Johnson Valley area. The bill will now move to the full House for consideration. ??Learn more: ??Motorcycle-USA.com