GatorMoto Announces New LSV Utility Vehicle

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Following an ongoing market trend of manufacturers producing street legal utility vehicles, GatorMoto Utility Vehicles recently announced?? the Electro Bubble Buddy Mountaineer LSV.

With a 72 volt engine with DC converter to 12 volts, 5 speed electric transmission, front axle independent suspension, integrative rear axle with leaf spring and vibration absorber, rack and pinon steering with automatic rocker compensating function and front disc brake and rear drum brake with hydraulic system, this vehicle is the choice of municipalities, police, EMTs, fire departments and other applications which require more torque in the engine.?? It can also be ordered with optional LED emergency light bars.?? Other available options include custom graphics, custom body color, storage cover, quick charging system, DVD player with monitor, and back up cameras.

The Electro Buddy Mountaineer LSV features a Curtis Controller, Trojan 105 batteries, 12:49:1 axle ratio for climbing, AM/FM/CD with speakers, two-tone paint scheme,??rear lockable trunk, DOT approved seat belts, AS-1 certified windshield, and 2 on board charger units.?? Black vinyl captains chairs with adjustable backs and adjustable formed arm rests provide comfortable seating for up to four passengers.

The vehicle has an MSRP of $17,900.00 and the 5 kW model is eligible for the 10% federal tax credit.?? Learn more:?? Gatormotoutilityvehicles.com

Club Car Produces Two Millionth Vehicle

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Marc Cesare

On Earth Day Club Car’s two millionth vehicle rolled of the production line. Appropriately, it was the eco-friendly zero emission Villager LSV.?? LSV’s are a recent addition to the Club Car line-up of golf cars and utility vehicles.

The ceremony was attended by Club Car associates, executives from parent company Ingersoll Rand and a number of local political and civic leaders.?? Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver read a proclamation that declared April 22, 2010 ???Club Car Day in Augusta.???

The event coincided with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the global celebration of environmental awareness. In recognition of its commitment to sustainability, Ingersoll Rand on Thursday launched its Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (CEES). The center will focus on identifying and implementiing best practices for the long-term use of energy and other resources for customers and communities.

Learn more:?? Clubcar.com

What’s Cooking On The STOV

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Highlighting some of the many applications for small, task-oriented vehicles

GEMs At San Diego International Airport

Airport Transport & Utility – As part of celebrating the upcoming Earth Day San Diego International Airport recently highlighted their use of electric powered LSVs and utility vehicles.?? Their fleet of fourteen vehicles include 10 GEMs and 4 Taylor-Dunn vehicles in two and four passenger configurations, as well as utility configurations.?? The vehicles are part of the airport’s overall “green” strategy.?? Officials estimate that the vehicles save them 80% in fuel costs compared to using gas-powered vehicles for the same work.?? Learn more:?? Examiner.com

Suzuki Kei LSV Mini-truck Available In The US

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Suzuki Kei Mini-truck

MichTrucks and JDM & Associates of Petersburg, Michigan have received a certificate from the EPA which will allow them to sell new Kei mini-trucks from Suzuki.???? The Kei vehicles have been gaining in popularity in the last few years, particularly as utility vehicles on farms.?? However, most of these vehicles were used ones imported from Japan.?? The fact that they were used rather new allowed them to circumvent EPA regulations regarding certificates of compliance for engines.?? The EPA recently closed that loophole and now require certificates for all engines, whether the vehicle is new or used.

The testing process for the certification took JDM & Associates over a year but they can now sell the Suzuki Carry, Suzuki Alto and Suzuki Every models.?? The gas-powered vehicles get 40 mpg and include a speed limiter so they can be made compliant with state LSV regulations.?? The vehicles are not approved for use on interstates.

The company’s websites promotes the vehicles as an alternative to utility vehicles like the Mule and Gator.?? The mini-trucks offer an enclosed cab and come with heating and air conditioning for a more comfortable environment in extreme conditions.?? Learn more:?? Inside-pr.com

Sevcon To Supply Controls For Polaris Ranger EV

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Sevcon, Inc. announced that they will be providing controls for the recently launched Polaris Ranger EV, an electric powered utility vehicle.?? The AC motor controllers, branded Gen 4, are the latest version developed by Sevcon specifically for electric vehicles.?? The controls will manage the operation of both the motor and regenerative braking system.?? Learn more:???? Allbusiness.com

Vehicle Reviews

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Here are a couple of electric vehicle reviews covering both ends of the STOV spectrum.

: Tazzari Zero

The first is a review of the Tazzari Zero, a high end, sporty commuter vehicle.?? Priced at $31,000, the vehicle is capable of highway speeds but has not completed DOT crash testing, and therefore is a high priced low speed vehicle.?? Learn more:?? Foxnews.com

The second review is of the Polaris Ranger EV, a recent entry into the electric utility vehicle segment.?? The Ranger EV is based on the chassis of the gas powered Ranger 400.?? It features a 11.5kw battery pack of Trojan batteries, a 30hp motor and a range of 25 to 50 miles depending on the driving mode selected.?? Learn more:?? Hortweek.com

Stealth Manufacturing Moving To Georgia

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Electric utility vehicle manufacturer Stealth Manufacturing is moving their plant from Louisiana to Georgia.?? Stealth currently has about 50 employees at its 82,000-square-foot facility at the Ouachita Industrial Park.?? The move is planned for June of this year.?? Stealth produces the Apache, Patriot, and Predator electric UTVs.?? Current owner, Greg Block, purchased the company in January from Louisiana based Bill Krutzer and Bill Robinson in January.?? Learn more:?? 13WMAZ.com

Hoboken LSV Purchase Revisited

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Marc Cesare

Earlier in a What’s Cooking On The STOV post I had covered the city of Hoboken’s purchase of LSV utility vehicles for their parking department. The city manager behind the purchase has recently blogged about the process and the reasoning behind it. Some of the key factors influencing the decision to switch from pick-up trucks to LSVs included:

Limited use criteria: restricted operating area in terms of miles driven, flat terrain, low payload requirements, no emergency response requirements
High mileage pick-ups with increasing maintenance costs
High fuel costs for pick-ups driven by idling
Narrow LSVs don’t block traffic
LSVs have significantly lower fuel and maintenance costs

As an added bonus the vehicles attracted press coverage which highlighted the department’s cost effective and forward thinking purchase. Learn more: Ian Sac’s blog

Golf Car Manufacturers Targeting LSV Market

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Marc Cesare

A local newspaper story in Georgia, home state of the leading golf car manufacturers, recently ran a story about their move into the LSV market.?? The story focuses mainly on the leaders in the golf car market, Club Car and E-Z-Go. Club Car introduced their passenger version of the Villager 2+2 late last year and E-Z-Go will be introducing their LSV later this year.

Club Car was able to take advantage of market demand driven by federal tax credits, especially in Oklahoma.?? E-Z-Go chose not to rush the development schedule of their LSV to take advantage of the tax credit.?? Instead, they are looking to enter the market with a vehicle with distinctive features.?? One feature we have learned about for the vehicle is four wheel hydraulic brakes.
Not mentioned in the story is entry of smaller golf car manufacturers into LSV market such as Fairplay.

The move into the LSV market is driven by a number of factors:

Golf cars are already being sold into the gated community market where LSVs are also sold
There is growing market opportunity as an increasing number of LSVs are sold outside of gated communities
The decline in the golf course driven segment of the market is forcing golf car companies to look for new areas of growth

Learn more:?? Augusta Chronicle

Boulder Electric Vehicle To Begin Production

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Marc Cesare

The aerodynamic electric truck from Boulder Electric Vehicle

With 25 orders of intent in hand Boulder Electric Vehicles is setting up a 60,000 square foot facility to produce their electric truck.?? The all electric truck is targeted for the delivery market and can travel 120 miles before requiring an 8 hour recharge.?? The vehicle currently costs $100,000.?? Learn more:?? Detnews.com

Small Vehicle Resource Blog

Information on the small, task-oriented vehicle market