Powersports manufacturer Polaris inked a deal with Zero Motorcycles last year, sewing up the exclusive rights to use Zero's proven electric powertrains in off-road vehicles and snowmobiles for the next 10 years. And it seems the first vehicle to come out of this collaboration will be a full-sized, all-electric Ranger UTV, set to debut at the end of the year.
The company already has an electric in its lineup; the rather humble 2-seat, 30-horsepower Ranger EV. But the Zero hookup will give Polaris access to a full range of much fruitier electric drivetrains, up to and including the mighty ZF75-10 motor from Zero's latest SR/F bikes. These make 110 horsepower and 190 Nm (140 lb-ft) of torque, and should be a barrel of monkeys in any vehicle to which they're seconded.
“As our top-selling off-road vehicle brand, Ranger has continually set the benchmark as the hardest working, smoothest riding UTV, leading the market in rider-inspired innovation,” said Steve Menneto, president of Polaris Off Road. “The new electric powertrain will elevate the Ranger platform to a whole new level of capability, durability and performance.”
There are other high-performance electrics sprouting up in this market in the meanwhile, from the Ecocharger to the Daymak Beast and the wacky six-wheel GreenScout. We can certainly see the utility of an electric UTV; near-silent operation certainly opens up options for less-antisocial fun if that's what you're using it for, and farmers will appreciate the ability to stick it on charge overnight, as well as the near-total lack of maintenance. Polaris has the capacity to bring a high-performance electric to this segment in serious volume.
The new electric Ranger is still under development, with a launch planned for late December and deliveries starting in 2022. So there's no word on specs at all yet, and you'll have to take any hints from the video below.
Source: Polaris
