Who is interested in EV SxS UTV Work Play platform? Discussion: What would you like?

[Iamgote]

My F150 Lighting enters production early June (yaaay!). I currently have two SxS's I use to go play with and an ATV. I would rather haul an electric SxS and charge off the truck or battery in the trailer. I also race ATV's and SxS's, I also design offroad suspension and vehicle architecture (because I race, it helps).

I currently have an EV work/play SxS design in process. I also have a manufacturer who will build them. I am looking to design for the middle of the market space, something that can do quite a bit of chores but is also a lot of fun to go out and ride. Something that you would want to put behind the F150 Lightning in a lightweight toyhauler to go and have fun for a week.

I know what I want, but I want to know what you want. As much as it makes sense, I will try to incorporate as much function and value into it as possible.

Let me know your thoughts! How will you use it, how many seats, hauling, range, speed, size, terrain etc?

Thanks!

Alex

PS. I should have some renderings to show in another week.

Sponsored

 

[vandy1981]

I've been shopping for electric SxS's for the last year and the market is sparse. There are surprisingly few options out there and I'm waiting for the right used Polaris Ranger EV to pop up on FB Marketplace so I can do a lithium battery conversion.

IMHO there is a huge potential market for something between an electric hunting bike and a SxS. Something with two seats and a robust enough suspension to handle a couple of adults and small payload but light enough to transport in the bed of a truck. We just need something that's going to get us to deer stand, not something that can jump sand dunes, plow snow or pull a trailer. There are infinite off-the-shelf options for in-hub motors and battery packs for bicycles that could be repurposed.

 

[PV2EV]

Just what I am looking for (SXS EV). 2 seats, small removable bed, and wheel base that allows it to fit in the truck bed. Needs to tow 250' of running K-line irrigation, so 4x4 and loads of torque. Charge off the power port and EVSE. Only need 2 hours a day at most. Some sand dune capability would be nice as well, but secondary.

 

[Iamgote]

I've been shopping for electric SxS's for the last year and the market is sparse. There are surprisingly few options out there and I'm waiting for the right used Polaris Ranger EV to pop up on FB Marketplace so I can do a lithium battery conversion.

IMHO there is a huge potential market for something between an electric hunting bike and a SxS. Something with two seats and a robust enough suspension to handle a couple of adults and small payload but light enough to transport in the bed of a truck. We just need something that's going to get us to deer stand, not something that can jump sand dunes, plow snow or pull a trailer. There are infinite off-the-shelf options for in-hub motors and battery packs for bicycles that could be repurposed.

Thanks for the response!

Polaris just released a new EV Ranger using Zero as a partner they have a 110hp motor and lithium batteries in it. A little bit more expensive but should be a very capable vehicle, you may want to check it out.

I like the size option you’re presenting, but there are issues with it. To fit in a bed, the F150 Lightning will allow a 50” wide vehicle. The Polaris RZR 570 trail is 50” wide, but 107” long. My Polaris Scrambler 1000 fits in my F350 bed, but I didn’t realize the F150 bed was that much smaller.

I’d love to have a two seater fit in the back of the F150 Lightning so I can take off and go ride without having to take a trailer…or taking an RV only trailer as opposed to a Toyhauler. I will be working on an ATV, but that won’t be right away.

 

[Iamgote]

Just what I am looking for (SXS EV). 2 seats, small removable bed, and wheel base that allows it to fit in the truck bed. Needs to tow 250' of running K-line irrigation, so 4x4 and loads of torque. Charge off the power port and EVSE. Only need 2 hours a day at most. Some sand dune capability would be nice as well, but secondary.

It will have tons of torque and 4WD. It will also have significant wheel travel for a smooth ride.

I currently have it set at 64” wide with a 90” wheelbase. I could bring it in to 60” wide and 80” wheelbase but the larger size allows for a lot of hauling things and a very comfy ride.
Truck bed fit is a tough order.

I may have to put a truck bed sized vehicle in the mix. Semi collapsible?…hmmmmmm

I had to look up K-line, a lot nicer than when I was hauling irrigation pipe as a youth!

 

[PV2EV]

Either a smaller SxS or an ATV to fit in the bed. Wife wants an SxS that we can share, but I currently use a Suzuki Eiger 400 and it struggles with the K-Line.

 

[p52Ranch]

Thanks for reaching out.

My use case on a UTV is short enough day use that recharging overnight is perfectly suitable. I don't haul the UTV anywhere for use off of my ranch. It gets used for everything including: checking cattle; pasture spraying; gardening and yardwork chores; hunting and fishing; towing the Lincoln Ranger welding rig, etc. So, I need towing and payload capacity. 4x4 with locking axles is a must. The ability to run 40+ mph is desired as well.

I have searched over the past several years for an effective electric SxS. I started looking at the original Polaris 48V Ranger with golf cart 12V lead acid battery technology. It had such poor range with questionable recharging issues that I abandoned that idea. I figured that replacing 800# of lead acid batteries every 5-7 years would get to be pretty expensive.

Years ago I went with a gasoline powered 2 seat John Deere Gator 825 UTV because of the gap to electric technology. I get worse fuel economy with the Gator (about 12 MPG) than I do with my F250 gas Super Duty.

I've looked at the Ranger Li Ion UTV. But at $30,000 for a lightly optioned SxS it is very difficult to justify (If I could have ordered a Lightning Pro this year with the $7,500 tax rebate it would have been nearly the same net price as the Ranger). I do like the HP and Torque numbers from the Ranger. I like the single row seat for maneuverability. There are times when the kids and grandkids are home that more seats would be nice but I don't want something with a long wheelbase. The ability to convert from a two seater to a four seater like a Honda 700 Pioneer would be nice as long as payload and hauling capacity isn't lost.

 

[Iamgote]

Either a smaller SxS or an ATV to fit in the bed. Wife wants an SxS that we can share, but I currently use a Suzuki Eiger 400 and it struggles with the K-Line.

The limit to fit in a bed will be 50" max for the Lightning. The length is 66". If you have 25" tires that makes a wheelbase of 41". You can stretch the wheelbase by dropping the tailgate, maybe 65" max.

The Polaris Trail 570 SxS fits widthwise, but too length. The single seater Polaris Ace 570 fits, but it's a single seater...and the tailgate is still down.

I think it can be done, but it will be a packaging exercise for sure. A platform on top of the bed would be a much better solution except from a loading perspective.

The minimum HP rating for an ATV or SxS I'd be looking at is about 45hp. The SxS I'm working on is 200hp peak and a little over 100hp continuous. Even as a work vehicle I'm putting 17+ inches of wheel travel into it so it will be very capable. I definitely want to make smaller versions of it but that will be after the larger first build.

 

[Iamgote]

Thanks for reaching out.

My use case on a UTV is short enough day use that recharging overnight is perfectly suitable. I don't haul the UTV anywhere for use off of my ranch. It gets used for everything including: checking cattle; pasture spraying; gardening and yardwork chores; hunting and fishing; towing the Lincoln Ranger welding rig, etc. So, I need towing and payload capacity. 4x4 with locking axles is a must. The ability to run 40+ mph is desired as well.

I have searched over the past several years for an effective electric SxS. I started looking at the original Polaris 48V Ranger with golf cart 12V lead acid battery technology. It had such poor range with questionable recharging issues that I abandoned that idea. I figured that replacing 800# of lead acid batteries every 5-7 years would get to be pretty expensive.

Years ago I went with a gasoline powered 2 seat John Deere Gator 825 UTV because of the gap to electric technology. I get worse fuel economy with the Gator (about 12 MPG) than I do with my F250 gas Super Duty.

I've looked at the Ranger Li Ion UTV. But at $30,000 for a lightly optioned SxS it is very difficult to justify (If I could have ordered a Lightning Pro this year with the $7,500 tax rebate it would have been nearly the same net price as the Ranger). I do like the HP and Torque numbers from the Ranger. I like the single row seat for maneuverability. There are times when the kids and grandkids are home that more seats would be nice but I don't want something with a long wheelbase. The ability to convert from a two seater to a four seater like a Honda 700 Pioneer would be nice as long as payload and hauling capacity isn't lost.

Thanks for your input!

Initially I was going to build a racer, but given I'd like this to be commercially viable, I repurposed the design for a work/play crossover vehicle, but I really want to add value on the work side of that equation. It has a trailer hitch, it is electronic torque vectoring 4WD. If I do the 64" wide version, it should have about 20" of wheel travel on all four corners, so very capable on where it can go. The rear wheel travel may be compromised by the dump bed, depends on how large we make it and how clever I can get with the suspension geometry. It will have peak 200hp. That's all a cost/performance value proposition, so it really comes down to how to position the retail price with respect to performance.

I am playing with an exo skeleton structure so it will have a rack to throw pipe, fence posts etc on in addition to covering the dump bed from the elements. I will also be looking at the possibility of running 110/220v power outlets. 110v for sure, 220v if it looks like it's needed.

Nice thing about electric is you don't have all that room taken up by the ICE so the wheelbase doesn't have to be so long.

The nice thing about my suspension is that it does auto load sharing. In other words, put a big load in the back, the front shocks take part of that load too. It handles flat on asphalt and has full articulation in the rough stuff.

I don't expect it to be at the bottom of the price range, but I think we can get this into a reasonable price point considering all of the capability.

Next question, if it suited your purpose, how would you want to buy it? Off the web (like Tesla) from a powersports dealer or something like the big box stores such as Lowes, Tractor Supply, Costco etc?

What daily mileage or run time would you need?

Thanks!

 

[p52Ranch]

I don't expect it to be at the bottom of the price range, but I think we can get this into a reasonable price point considering all of the capability.

Next question, if it suited your purpose, how would you want to buy it? Off the web (like Tesla) from a powersports dealer or something like the big box stores such as Lowes, Tractor Supply, Costco etc?

What daily mileage or run time would you need?

Thanks!

A direct from the manufacturer purchase or powersports dealer would be fine. I would be leery of a product at a big box store generally because the quality of machines they typically sell are pretty low and they don't have any service support. A powersports dealer would give the most confidence for service support. Purchasing directly off the web from the manufacturer would give the confidence they could provide some form of post purchase support.

I'm less than 10 miles in any given day of run time as my ranch is pretty small. Consequently I wouldn't have range anxiety issues like someone who may be using it for 4x4 trail rides, all day dune running, etc.

 

[Farmford42]

Would love to chat with you about this. I see that there is a huge need for that type of machine. I see this need as well as a functional ATV replacement for farm operations. Back of the truck makes a lot better work case since I regularly have to shuttle equipment around. Flat towing would also work in some cases but not all.

 

[Iamgote]

A direct from the manufacturer purchase or powersports dealer would be fine. I would be leery of a product at a big box store generally because the quality of machines they typically sell are pretty low and they don't have any service support. A powersports dealer would give the most confidence for service support. Purchasing directly off the web from the manufacturer would give the confidence they could provide some form of post purchase support.

I'm less than 10 miles in any given day of run time as my ranch is pretty small. Consequently I wouldn't have range anxiety issues like someone who may be using it for 4x4 trail rides, all day dune running, etc.

There are different issues with each distribution channel. One I was thinking of was visibility of the product to the customer. If you want a dirt bike, you know where to go. You don’t know about an electric ATV or SxS unless it is placed in front of you, that’s why I’m thinking big box. It would be supported by independent service technicians the same as a direct web purchase. It would definitely be a step up in quality for them and a quicker way to market for us….or we go knock on dealer doors….or market hard on line. Decisions, decisions….

 

[Iamgote]

Would love to chat with you about this. I see that there is a huge need for that type of machine. I see this need as well as a functional ATV replacement for farm operations. Back of the truck makes a lot better work case since I regularly have to shuttle equipment around. Flat towing would also work in some cases but not all.

Thanks for your response!

Looks like I’ll need to design both a regular sized SxS and a pickup bed sized vehicle if I keep getting responses like this. Doesn’t bother me except for timing as I enjoy this sport immensely.

Sponsored