Category Archives: utility vehicles

Phillipines Agency Approves Electric Jeepneys

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The Phillipine Land Transportation Office agreed to issue plate numbers for e-jeepneys, making them available for commercial use.?? The vehicles were developed by Green Renewable Independent Power Producer Inc. (GRIPP), and the Dutch group Stichting Doen as part of their ???Climate-Friendly Cities??? project.?? They vehicles will be assembled locally with the cooperation of Philippine Utility Vehicles Inc. (PhUV), a local group of vehicle parts manufacturers.?? Powered by 12 six volt lead acid batteries, the e-jeeps can carry 14 passengers at speeds of 40km to 60km per hour.?? Each vehicle costs about $13,000 (US) which is slightly less than the diesel powered versions currently in use. Learn more

Yamaha Rhino Federal Lawsuits Consolidated

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Yamaha Rhino lawsuits filed in federal districts around the United States will be consolidated for pretrial litigation in the Western District of Kentucky.?? There are currently?? 55 different product liability lawsuits related to the Rhino filed in 33 different U.S. District Courts.?? The common allegation in the lawsuits is that the side by side vehicle has defects that give it a propensity to tip over.

Most of the lawsuits in federal courts have been filed in the last year and more are expected.?? If filings in state courts are included, those following the story estimate over 200 lawsuits in total are pending across the country.?? Last month consumer advocates and victims of rollover incidents released a report(pdf) that covers all utility terrain vehicles (UTV) but extensively discusses the Yamaha Rhino. Learn more about the consolidation

More Smith Electric Vehicle News

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Smith All Electric Newton for the North American Market

Smith All Electric Newton for the North American Market

Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation, currently headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, is planning on producing all electric trucks for depot-based delivery fleets in North America. In the UK companies like Starbucks and DHL use the vehicles in dense urban areas.

The Newton model will be the first Smith vehicle available in this market. This is a class 5,6 o 7 vehicle with a payload of up to 16,280 lbs. While not quite a highway speed vehicle, the Newton is not a low speed vehicle either can reach speeds of up to 50 mph and has a range of over 100 miles depending on the battery option chosen.

The Newton originally used anywhere from two to six Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries produced by Zebra and each battery cost $16,000 and provided 22KW hours of power. However the company expects that most of the models sold in the US will use this Lithium ion type batteries. The 2007 version of the truck costs $150,000 with the Zebra batteries accounting for $64,000 or just over 40% of the cost. Additional batteries also reduce payload capacity.

Learn more and at Autobloggreen.com

Update:?? See some video interviews from some people in the industry that drove the truck at Autobloggreen.com

Bobcat Turns To Polaris To Produce “Work” Vehicles

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Bobcat has entered into a strategic alliance with Polaris to co-develop vehicles for the work segment of the utility vehicle market. The first vehicles are expected to hit the market in the latter half of 2010 and replace Bobcat’s 2100, 2200 and 2300 utility vehicles currently manufactured by Club Car. Bobcat and Club Car were both part of Ingersoll Rand before Bobcat was acquired by Doosan Infracore in late 2007. The alliance will help Polaris expand beyond their strengths in the powersports/recreational vehicle segment. Bobcat reports that only 20 of 1,800 Polaris dealers currently sell Bobcat products. The agreement will not have an affect Bob Cat’s Tool Cat line or the Polaris Ranger line. Learn more

Axeon Dramatically Improves Battery Performance For Modec

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Axeon recently announced that they had nearly doubled the performance of their Lithium ion battery back in on road tests for Modec’s 3.5 ton electric urban delivery vehicles. While independent testing indicated only a 25% increase, prototype tests nearly doubled vehicle range from 76 to 150 miles. Axeon attributed the improvement to a new cell design that increased power density. Based on these results Modec is planning to offer the battery back in the second half of this year.

Private Equity Firm Acquires Controlling Interest In Tomcar

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In February Markstone Capital Partners of Los Angeles acquired a controlling interest in Tomcar, which makes offroad vehicles for military and industrial applications.?? Terms of the agreement were not released.

Last year Tomcar had received an investment from Markstone and had opened up a 85,000 square foot contract manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, MI in partnership with German-based EDAG.?? At full production the facility can produce just over 10,000 vehicles per year but initial production targets were for 2,000 vehicles in 2008 and 5,000 in 2009.?? According to reports, the first vehicles rolling of the line were for a custom order and vehicles for the general market start this month.

The vehicles, which retail starting between $14,000 and $15,000, come in two-seater, four-seater or mini-truck versions.?? They have applications in military, mining, security patrol, farm and ranch, recreation and tourism uses.

Total investment in the plant was estimated to be $9.5 million. Tomcar also has facilities in Israel and Phoenix, AZ.?? Learn more

Electric Utility Vehicles Claiming Market Share?

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This story exemplifies the potential for electric powered utility vehicles to make inroads into gas powered segments of the market.?? In this case, an electric powered Club Car replaced an older Gator utility vehicle in a county park.???? The lack of noise and odor emitted by the vehicle is noted as the advantages of the new vehicle.?? On the other hand, the staff remarked that the vehicle can only be used on the more developed parts of the park and not the trails, and cannot be operated all day or the power runs out.?? The vehicle is used for regular maintenance around the park.?? They did receive a number of favorable letters and calls from park users about the vehicle.

Comment:?? In much the same way utility vehicles have replaced full-size trucks when appropriate, I can see electric powered utility vehicles replacing gas powered vehicles or being the first vehicle of choice where they can perform just as efficiently, especially as the “going green” trend continues.?? However, except for vehicles like the Bad Boy Buggie, most of the electric utility vehicles will still fall short in some key performance requirements for the more demanding tasks required of gas powered vehicles.

Tanfield To Form Joint Venture For Smith Electric Vehicle Production

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Tanfield is forming a joint venture with Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation (SEVUS) to produce electric vehicles for the North American market.?? The UK based Tanfield is the parent company of Smith Electric Vehicles.?? According to the post at greencarcongress.com

Tanfield will licence Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), brand and all existing sales and sales enquiries in North America to SEVUS, in exchange for a 49% equity stake in SEV US Corp and per-vehicle royalties. As a majority (51%)-owned US company, SEV US will be eligible for US government funding and other benefits.

Production of the vehicles is expected to begin in 2009.?? Tanfield has scaled back from their plans to develop, on their own in the US, a major production facility?? with a capacity to produce 10,000 vehicles a year.?? North America remains the largest potential market for their commercial vehicles.

EMI Introduces New UTV

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Silverback UTV from EMI

Silverback UTV from EMI

Eminent Motorsports International (EMI) has introduced the Silverback, a new UTV for 2009. Targeting the recreational market, the Silverback features a 812cc, 52hp engine which gives the Silverback a top speed of over 60 mph according to EMI. Other features include four speed manual transmission, 75 amp alternator, independent suspension, dual exhaust and four wheel disc brakes. ?? The MSRP for the Silverback is $10,999. ?? Learn More

Road Use Regulation Round Up

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Ocean City, NJ – Police urge city council to keep golf cars off city streets for safety reasons.

West Baraboo, WI – Passes ordinance allowing NEVs on low speed streets and certain crossings of state highway.

Charleston, NC – A limousine service with two Tomberlin E-merge vehicles as part of their fleet had to cease using the LSVs when the city attorneys determined the vehicles violated city code and zoning ordinance. The owner hopes the city will revisit the issue later in the year.

Wausau, WI – City amends ordinance to allow NEVs to be driven on some city streets.

Massachusetts – Legislation bans the use of NEVs on roads with speed limits above 30 mph and requires that they follow the same licensing and registration rules as cars. Additional legislation allows the Registry of Motor Vehicles to register as ???motorcycles??? three-wheeled electric vehicles that have standard safety equipment and travel no faster than 40 miles per hour. (i.e. Zap Xebra) Such vehicles could be registered at the discretion of the Registrar, and would be limited to traveling on public roads having speed limits of 40 miles per hour or less.

Pittsfield, IL – Ordinance proposed to allow the use of NEVs and golf cars to operate on city streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less and cross streets with higher speed limits.

Indiana – Legislation proposed to allow mini-trucks to be licensed and titled. Apparently the state’s motor vehicle department has been inconsistent in their approach to these vehicles. The department plans to title them as off-road vehicles, which allows owners to drive them on secondary roads in some Indiana counties.