The new all-electric Polaris UTV will change the industry; I know because I drove it
Late last year I had the chance to test out a production prototype of the upcoming Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic UTV. It was an eye-opening experience that taught me just how powerful and yet simultaneously easy to control the electric UTV was. Now that production of that game-changing vehicle is underway, I’ve gone back to visit the factory floor as well as get another test ride, this time in a production vehicle.
I don’t use the term “game-changing” lightly here. The all-electric RANGER XP Kinetic is truly set to revolutionize the UTV market.
The Polaris engineers will be the first to tell you that it isn’t just the best electric UTV out there, it’s the best RANGER that Polaris has ever made, combustion or electric. As the team explained, they didn’t want to just build an EV for the sake of an EV. They wanted to actually build something better. And by all accounts, they’ve done it.
Thanks to the inclusion of an electric drivetrain from Zero Motorcycles, the XP Kinetic is more powerful, more torquey, and easier to control than any other RANGER that Polaris has ever built.
It also happens to be quieter, smoother, more comfortable, and cheaper to operate.
Don’t believe me? Check out my video below where I tested out the vehicles and toured the Alabama factory.
Production and shipments of the new Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic began in April, after the Huntsville, Alabama Polaris factory added the new electric UTV into its sprawling assembly plant.
Sprawling is the right way to describe it. I brought a drone and could still barely capture the whole thing in just one frame. Touring the inside showed me why; they do just about everything under one massive roof.
The northern Alabama facility, which is divided into a number of sections, can take in bare steel tubes at one end and crank out the most powerful UTVs on the planet at the other end.
They run many production lines in parallel and even send multiple types of vehicles down the same assembly lines. It’s a finely tuned machine with robotic vehicle lifts ferrying chassis down the line while workers drive electric warehouse tractors towing trailers full of components along carefully painted routes along the floor.
The same lifts that hoist engines into the other Polaris vehicles on the line now softly place giant electric motorcycle batteries into RANGER XP Kinetic chassis as they continue through the carefully choreographed assembly dance.
I wasn’t actually allowed to photograph inside the plant due to the multitude of trade secrets that are wandering around, but I was given the sterilized photographs you see here, which show us just as much as Polaris wants to let out.
The Polaris team also wasn’t sharing exact production numbers, but from the rate that things were moving in the hour or so I spent on the floor, it seems like each day there are many electric RANGERS rolling off the line, through vehicle testing and out the door for delivery.
And one of those vehicles hosted me for the afternoon as I had the pleasure of sliding it in every direction I could across the Polaris test track on site.
With miles and miles of dirt to run on, split fairly evenly between open fields and tight forested trails, there was plenty of ground to cover.
I was able to test the production version of the RANGER XP Kinetic on loose red soil, rocky sections, log piles, wet grass, and more. The wet grass wasn’t intentional, I was simply having so much fun that I would occasionally wander off of the trail a bit. But since I managed to avoid hitting any trees (other than the several felled trees I drove up and over), I call it a success.
The UTV is of course a work vehicle, first and foremost. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t also a blast to drive!
The amount of power at your command is impressive, but what is even more jaw-dropping is just how quickly you can drop that hammer. With electric motors, the torque comes on instantaneously. Not quickly, mind you. Instantaneously.
That results in some seriously fun power off the line. And when amusement isn’t your only goal, that also translates into serious towing and hauling performance.
It feels like the kind of vehicle that you can ride fences with all day, haul whatever gear you need throughout the week, and then have some serious fun with on the weekends.
But perhaps most important is the RANGER XP Kinetic’s effect on owners’ wallets. Sure, it’s expensive to purchase. The starting price window from US $25k – $30k depending on if you want the big (14.9 kWh) or bigger (29.8 kWh) battery. That’s not cheap. But then again, the Polaris XP 1000 starts at north of US $20k, and that model’s combustion engine means that it has a lot more maintenance and upkeep charges compared to its new electric brother.
The comparison is interesting, since something like 95% of the accessories are the same, meaning you’re really getting the best of the RANGER line, just now with more power and precision thanks to that electric drivetrain.
That means the all-electric RANGER has fewer maintenance concerns, lower operating costs, no need to keep jerry cans of fuel around, and an overall nicer working atmosphere.
The vehicle isn’t vibrating while operating (or even idling). It’s not spewing a cloud of exhaust. It’s not scaring livestock on the farm or wild animals when out in nature. The entire experience has major advantages everywhere you look.
And now that the company is (finally) delivering the long awaited all-electric RANGER XP Kinetic, more and more operators are going to start experiencing those advantages. I’ve felt them first hand, and so I know what those owners are in for. I’m not sure I’ll ever have a place for one in my 800 square foot apartment, but perhaps I can convince my parents that their ranch sure could use one.
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Following approval from Transport Canada, EV startup Workhorse will be bringing the W56 and W750 model electric delivery vans to commercial truck dealers in Canada as early as this spring.
Workhorse first showed its W56 medium-duty electric truck at Indiana’s Work Truck Week in 2023, and has sold the trucks to logistics and delivery companies like FedEx and Pride Group – which ordered more than six thousand of the electric vans in 2021, and continues to expand its fleet.
“This is a major step forward for Workhorse,” says Josh Anderson, Workhorse’s chief technology officer in a press statement. “Pre-clearance from Transport Canada opens up a large new market for our products throughout Canada, including with fleets that operate across borders in North America.”
As part of the approval process, Workhorse completed its registration as a foreign manufacturer under Transport Canada’s Appendix G clearance program. Transport Canada confirmed the vans’ compliance with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) for both vehicles – but it remains to be seen if and how the latest tariff-driven trade war between the Trump Administration’s US and Canada will impact Workhorse’s plans to expand throughout North America.
Despite that uncertainty, Workhorse execs remain upbeat. “We’re excited that our electric step vans can now reach Canadian roads and highways, providing reliable, zero-emission solutions that customers can depend on,” added Anderson.
Canadian pricing has yet to be announced.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no other way to say it: the Trump/Musk co-presidency is disrupting a lot of companies’ plans – and that’s especially true across North American borders. But in all this chaos and turmoil there undoubtedly lies opportunity, and it will be interesting to see who ends up on top.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Workhorse, via Electric Autonomy Canada.
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![Liebherr developing giant, 140-ton Segway-style autonomous haulers [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/operational-area-earth-moving-copy.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The new Liebherr S1 Vision 140-ton hauler is unlike any heavy haul truck currently on the market – primarily because the giant, self-propelled, single-axle autonomous bucket doesn’t look anything like any truck you’ve ever seen.
Liebherr says its latest heavy equipment concept was born from a desire to rethink truck design with a focus only on core functions. The resulting S1 Vision is primarily just a single axle with two powerful electric motors sending power to a pair of massive airless tires designed carry loads up to 131 tonnes (just over 140 tons).
The design enables rapid maintenance, as important components easily accessible for quick servicing. Wear parts can be replaced efficiently, and the electric drive significantly reduces maintenance work. This helps to minimise downtimes and increases operational efficiency.
LIEBHERR
Because of its versatility, durability, and ability to perform zero-turn maneuvers that other equipment simply can’t, the Liebherr S1 Vision can be adapted for various applications, including earthmoving, mining, and even agriculture. There’s also a nonzero chance of this technology finding applications supporting other on-site equipment through charging or fuel delivery.
The S1 accomplishes that trick safely with the help of an automatic load leveling system that ensures maximum stability, even on bumpy or rough terrain. The company says this technology significantly reduces the risk of tipping while providing smooth and secure operation across various environments.
Liebherr will show the S1 Vision at this year’s bauma equipment exhibition in Munich, Germany. The design has already been nominated for the bauma Innovation Award in the Mechanical Engineering category – and my money’s on it winning.
Electrek’s Take
This is such goofy, stupid fun that if it was wheelbarrow-sized I’d have three of them. I can’t imagine the insanity of watching one of these things roll across a job site with 100 tons of granite in the bucket – and will have nightmares about the kind of damage it could do if it flipped out like a poorly made Chinese hoverboard clone whipping a toddler across a living room … which, in fairness, would probably get a billion views on Instagram or TikTok or whatever.
I can’t wait.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Liebherr.
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The HD arm of Hyundai has just released the first official images of the new, battery-electric HX19e mini excavator – the first ever production electric excavator from the global South Korean manufacturer.
The HX19e will be the first all-electric asset to enter series production at Hyundai Construction Equipment, with manufacturing set to begin this April.
The new HX19e will be offered with either a 32 kWh or 40 kWh li-ion battery pack – which, according to Hyundai, is nearly double the capacity offered by its nearest competitor (pretty sure that’s not correct –Ed.). The 40kWh battery allows for up to 6 hours and 40 minutes of continuous operation between charges, with a break time top-up on delivering full shift usability.
Those batteries send power to a 13 kW (17.5 hp) electric motor that drives an open-center hydraulic system. Hyundai claims the system delivers job site performance that is at least equal to, if not better than, that of its diesel-powered HX19A mini excavator.
To that end, the Hyundai XH19e offers the same 16 kN bucket breakout force and a slightly higher 9.4 kN (just over 2100 lb-ft) dipper arm breakout force. The maximum digging depth is 7.6 feet, and the maximum digging reach is 12.9 feet. Hyundai will offer the new electric excavator with just four selectable options:
- enclosed cab vs. open canopy
- 32 or 40 kWh battery capacity
All HX19es will ship with a high standard specification that includes safety valves on the main boom, dipper arm, and dozer blade hydraulic cylinders, as well as two-way auxiliary hydraulic piping allows the machine to be used with a range of commercially available implements. The hydraulics needed to operate a quick coupler, LED booms lights, rotating beacons, an MP3 radio with USB connectivity, and an operator’s seat with mechanical suspension are also standard.
Like its counterparts at Volvo CE, the new Hyundai excavator uses automotive-style charging ports to take advantage of existing infrastructure at fleet depots and public charging stations. More detailed specifications, dimensions, and pricing should be announced by bauma.
Electrek’s Take
The ability to operate indoors, underground, or in environments like zoos and hospitals were keeping noise levels down is of critical importance to the success of an operation makes electric equipment assets like these coming from Hyundai a must-have for fleet operators and construction crews that hope to remain competitive in the face of ever-increasing noise regulations. The fact that these are cleaner, safer, and cheaper to operate is just icing on that cake.
SOURCE | IMAGES: HD Hyundai; via Construction Index, Equipment World.
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