Western Wyoming is beautiful in the fall. With trees beginning to change, sunsets getting more spectacular, and animals beginning to migrate, there’s a lot going on. And I got to glide through it all silently on the back of an electric ATV.
First, the specifications for this new Outlander Electric, with the caveat that what’s on paper isn’t necessarily practical reality. And that can be a good thing. These numbers were released in August.
- 47 peak horsepower (34.5 kW)
- 53 lb-ft (72 Nm) peak torque
- Range up to 50 miles (80.5 km)
- 8.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
- 20-80% charge in 50 minutes
- 0-100%l in about an hour and a half
- Operating temp between -4 to 104 °F (-2 to 40 °C)
- Full battery thermal management
- Towing up to 1,830 lb (830 kg)
- Cargo total up to 360 lb (163 kg)
- Noise-reducing tires and suspension system
- US$12,999 plus destination fees
- Weighs only a few kilograms more than its gasoline equivalent
These numbers look pretty good, but aren’t, at first glance, as robust as those found on the Outlander 850 or 1000R models. Yet, in reality, the Outlander Electric is equivalent to those in almost every way – the exception being range of operation. If you think of the new EV version being the workhorse where the 1000R is the recreational fun model, this begins to make sense.
In working conditions, Can-Am told me, average daily use for an ATV is only about 13 -18 miles (21 - 29 km). Consumer surveys, maintenance data, and other sources bear this out, the company says. Most of the fuel usage is in idling and revving high for torque, engineers concluded. Neither of those things are required with the electric model. Engineers were also frank about the Outlander Electric’s range versus the “up to” number given. Where the EPA tests show about 50 miles (80 km) of range, Can-Am’s own testing over thousands of kilometers found that the working average is going to be around 30 miles (48 km) in mixed use. This appeared accurate during our trail ride and working tests in Jackson Hole. After about 11 miles (18 km) of trail riding, my unit was down about 35%. And most of my riding had been in Sport mode, which is more aggressive in throttle response and power outputs.
On hand was a stand holding the Rotax E-Power unit that powers the Outlander Electric. It’s very similar to the setup that powers Can-Am’s electric motorcycle. The unit includes batteries, control units, a tri-valve-based thermal management system, and a high- and low-gear transmission and differential.
The E-Power unit’s batteries have an integrated Level 2, 6.6-kW charger. 0-100% charging takes about 90 minutes at level 2 or just over five hours at level 1. Most users will likely be charging between 20 and 80%, which takes about 50 minutes at level 2 and just over three hours at level 2. The tri-valve thermal management moves coolant throughout the unit as needed. In cold conditions, for example, the circulator will also heat the fluid to prep the batteries, whereas in high heat, it will instead cool them. This optimizes battery temperature for and during charging. During operation, the system can also cool batteries and the motor as needed. Thermal management is in a closed system, so little maintenance is required.
Because the Outlander Electric is powered by a motor, full torque is instant and continual. It also has regenerative braking at 3 levels, adjustable by the driver. I found that using the second level (mid) is about right for most tasks, allowing the motor to “engine brake” the machine down moderate and mild hills when under little or no load. The third level is best for going down steep grades, when under full load in low gear, and similar situations where throttle use is the best way to control the machine at a steady pace. The dynamic power steering is similar to that found on the Outlander 850 and 1000R models and takes a lot of effort off of the rider.
The transmission is purely to provide high and low gearing and the differential transfers power to the front wheels for four-wheel drive. Output is otherwise direct driven. Reverse is accomplished through polarity change rather than gearing. This is controlled with some speed limiting to prevent high-speed operation backwards.
This setup means a “reverse on the fly” gimmick is possible via a quick button press. When shifted into gear (High or Low), the Outlander Electric will be in forward (drive) mode, indicated on the instrument cluster with a “D.” When the power button is pressed (left thumb), the machine shifts into reverse (indicated with an “R”). The motor then reverses itself and everything goes backwards. Can-Am put a speed limiter (12 mph / 19 km/h) on when this can happen and how fast reverse will actually go, to prevent pitching the rider(s) off the machine in a sudden reversal. In high gear, going forward, the Can-Am Outlander Electric has a 50-mph (80-km/h) speed limit.
The high and low gearing offer a way to conduct hard work without overheating the machine. In my riding, pulling logs and scraping an arena, it was clear that the Outlander EV would do these tasks in high gear without difficulty, but it would eventually get hot. Switching to low gear keeps the machine cooler by offering more torque conversion in the transmission. This means that a task requiring just a few minutes of work would be fine without switching gears, but a long-term task (like dragging the heavy graters for an arena scrape) will be better done in low gear. A speed limiter on the machine also allows a top speed to be set in order to keep throttle variance from affecting the work. This can be adjusted on the fly with a simple toggle press (up or down). During the arena surfacing, for example, I had the speed limiter set to 5 mph (8 km/h) to keep a steady pace despite my bouncy thumb.
The Outlander Electric was also made to minimize maintenance requirements. For me, this was important. I own an electric lawn mower and weed eater because they require almost no maintenance and start up to work every time. Gasoline models, in my experience, are a lot of work to keep functioning. In the same way, this Can-Am EV needs almost no maintenance. There’s minimal noise or vibration in the power unit to cause issues, bushings are double-bonded and require no maintenance, and most of the mechanical components are equivalent in durability to other Outlander models.
On that note, most of the accessories that can be fitted to any Outlander model will also fit to this electric one, including snow tracks, various mounted options (coolers, storage), and so forth. There are over 120 of these accessory options available. Just like the gasoline models, ground clearance for the EV is 12 inches (30.5 cm) and a 2-inch hitch receiver is standard.
For those needing a work machine, the Can-Am Outlander Electric probably fits the scenario. Can-Am is aiming towards land owners with 100 acres (40.5 ha) or less, parks and maintenance crews, and similar use cases. For me, though, the most distinctive thing about the electric model was how quiet it was. Video below will show yours truly riding the Outlander Electric with full sound. It’s amazing.
Product Page: 2026 Can-Am Outlander Electric
