Category Archives: utility vehicles

Boshart EV’s Prototype Tersus Electric Truck

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Boshart Tersus

Boshart Tersus

The Boshart Tersus is an electric powered general utility truck that can carry up to four people and is designed for closed campus and private property environments. What I find interesting about the Tersus is that it looks more like a typical gas powered truck.

The truck has a top speed of 25 mph and a payload capacity of 1,000 lbs. It uses a 72 volt system that powers a 28Kw AC motor and can be charged to 80% in one hour using a fast charger. A standard charger will recharge the AGM battery pack in six hours. I contacted the company and they told me that the vehicle is not available yet and didn’t provide a timetable or estimated price.

The company is also planning a heavy duty electric utility truck for 2010 that will have a payload of 3,000 lbs. Learn more: boshartev.com

Update: I received some more information from the company.?? the vehicle can be purchased directly from Boshart Engineering and costs from $20,000 to $26,000 depending on options.?? The vehicles has 220 ah capacity AGM battery pack and operates on a 72 volt system.

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


Curtis Industries Offers Modular Cab System For Polaris Ranger

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Curtis Industries Modular-Rapid Convertible System For Polaris Ranger

Curtis Industries Modular-Rapid Convertible System For Polaris Ranger Colors shown for illustration purposes. Comes in black

Curtis Industries of Worcester, MA is offering a new modular cab system for the 2009 Polaris Ranger utility vehicle available later this year.?? The Rapid Convertible System (RCS) is designed to allow the user to convert from an enclosed vehicle to an open air vehicle in 60 seconds. Learn more:?? utvguide.net

Curtis Industries

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

Evergreen Electromotive Looking To Produce Three-Wheel Utility Vehicles

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Evergreen Electromotive based in Bainbridge Island is raising funds to finish additional prototypes and establish production facilities for three-wheeled utility vehicles. Led by Bob Fraik, a former software engineer from Sun Microsystems and NeXT, the company has already produced the ECH, a four wheeled MSV prototype with a carbon composite body and lithium iron phosphate battery pack giving it a range of 80 miles.

Evergreen Electromotives Prototype Four-Wheel Vehicle

Evergreen Electromotive's Prototype ECH - Four-Wheel MSV

The company is finishing work on two prototype three-wheel vehicles and is looking to establish production facilities in the Port of Bremerton, WA industrial center. The production vehicles are expected to have a top speed of over 50 mph but can be calibrated for lower speeds, and will be targeted for government and corporate fleets. Learn more: Kitsapsun.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

Aurora, IL: STOV Market Segment Example

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NEV Replacing Full-size Vehicle

NEV Replacing Full-size Vehicle

The parks and recreation department in Aurora, IL has just purchased two NEVs from GEM to replace full-sized vehicles.?? The vehicles are being used for maintenance in a park and a zoo. Learn more

Comment: This is an excellent example of where a full-sized vehicle is overkill but a utility vehicle can be highly efficient performing the necessary tasks.?? In this case it also an example of market segments where end-users (often parks departments) are switching from gas-powered to and electric powered vehicles. mcesare

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

Baoya Vehicles Sold Through Dealership In Knoxville, TN

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Second Chance Finance Auto Sales, soon to be called Wildfire Motors of Knoxville is selling a Chinese manufactured LSV supplied by Wildfire Motors of Steubenville, OH.?? The models, WF120-2C and WF120-4C, look similar to the Baoya electric vehicles produced by Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China. See earlier post

Wildfire Motors LSV Model WF120-2C
Wildfire Motors LSV Model WF120-2C

The vehicle has a 8.5 kilowatt, 120 volt, AC motor which runs on 10 105Amp maintenance free sealed lead acid batteries. ?? The top speed is set for 25 mph but can be programmed for speeds up to 50 mph.?? At a speed of 30mph the vehicle has a range of 70 miles and can be charged using a typical home outlet.???? The vehicle comes in two and four passenger versions as well as a utility truck version with MSRPs ranging from $14,618 and $15,325. There is also a 72 volt power system option available. Learn more about the dealer and Wildfire Motors