For more than a year, Polaris has worked with Zero Motorcycles to develop a new electric version of its Ranger off-road vehicle. The Ranger XP Kinetic is now ready.
The new vehicle will come in two configurations: the XP Kinetic Premium with 14.9 kWh of lithium-ion battery capacity, and the XP Kinetic Ultimate, which doubles the battery capacity to 29.8 kWh.
The Ranger XP Kinetic will have 110 HP and 140 pound feet of torque, Polaris said. That's 35% more power and double the torque of existing utility side by-side vehicles. The vehicle will be able to tow up to 2,500 pounds and haul and dump 1,250 pounds, the company said.
Geared to work for farmers, ranchers, hunters and landowners, the new electric vehicle not only promises to be quieter with zero direct emissions, it promises more capability, durability and performance than traditional models.
"Ranger XP Kinetic unlocks the benefits of electrification to enable these customers to drive efficiency and get more done, giving them the power to do more than ever before," said Steve Menneto, president of Polaris Off-Road, in a release.
The electric powertrain was developed in partnership with California-based Zero Motorcycles, a maker of electric motorcycles. Polaris and Zero announced a 10-year partnership last fall, and the XP Kinetic is the first of what is expected to be a number of new electric models across Polaris' powersports lineup of ATVs, side-by-sides and snowmobiles.
"We are not taking a one-vehicle approach, we are taking a portfolio approach," Menneto said in an interview. "EV vehicles will be a staple."
The new XP Kinetic models will be priced around a 25% premium to existing Ranger models with an asking price of $24,999 for the Premium model and $29,999 for the Ultimate model.
But with fewer parts and less maintenance to consider, Menneto said the annual cost of ownership of the Kinetic will be about 70% less than existing models. That lower cost of ownership could erase the EV premium within three to four years.
The fear of running out of battery capacity, or range anxiety, is a concern for customers making a switch to any electric vehicle, so Polaris designed additional features to the XP Kinetic to enhance the user experience.
The models will have Ride Command, a 7-inch screen that will provide riders with GPS information, data on battery performance and expected range, among other functions. The XP Kinetic will also have three drive modes to help riders match their battery usage to the tasks they are doing.
To support the Ranger XP Kinetic, Polaris also announced a new partnership with Qmerit, an Irvine, Calif.-based company that has installed over 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
While the new Ranger can be charged from standard 120-volt outlets in about five hours, Qmerit will offer a turnkey solution to customers who want to add a 240-volt, Level 2 charging system on site that will provide up to 50% faster charging.
"Polaris vehicles have allowed people to work and play outside for more than 65 years and now we're helping them continue to do the activities they love doing while making the switch to electric effortless," Ken Sapp, Qmerit's senior vice president of business development, said in a news release.
Polaris began accepting pre-orders for the XP Kinetic on Wednesday and shipments should start in the summer 2022.
