The sound of silence is now easier to find in Michigan‘s Upper Peninsula.
This is due to the introduction of all-electric off-road vehicles which, among other benefits, promise a smooth, exhaust-free ride across 100 miles of trails in this famously scenic setting.
Polaris, the Minneapolis-based powersports company, recently partnered with the state of Michigan to establish an electric vehicle charging network through trails running through four communities in the UP’s Ontonagon County, a project they consider the first of its kind.
Andrew Chasse, vice president of strategy and partnerships at Polaris, told Tech Brew that the manufacturer has been testing electric versions of much of its product portfolio in recent years.
“We’ve been on a pretty intense journey to learn what electrification brings to motorsports,” he said. “One of the things we held onto from the beginning of that process was that our customers had very little interest in electrification just for electrification’s sake.”
But Polaris has found that its customers are interested in the benefits of electrification: no exhaust fumes or emissions, fewer maintenance needs, faster acceleration and a quieter driving experience.
A little over a year ago, Polaris introduced the Ranger XP Kinetic, an electric off-road vehicle designed for customers who use vehicles like this for work: think farmers, ranchers, and hunters.
“These are very, very capable vehicles and they actually outperform combustion engine vehicles in some of the tasks that they are used for in work applications,” Chasse said.
But those who want to travel long distances with their vehicles need a place to charge them. Enter the partnership with Michigan State.
Last June, Polaris announced it had received a $700,000 grant, through Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, to build an off-road charging network in the UP. At the same time, Polaris partnered with an outdoor store in Ontonagon, Michigan, called Hamilton’s North Coast Adventure, to offer rentals of the Ranger XP Kinetic for recreational purposes (a full-day rental costs $299).
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Polaris, in collaboration with renewable energy storage company Yotta Energy, installed four charging stations, each with four charging points, so that multiple vehicles can charge at once. The stations can power ATVs, snowmobiles and “other trail-approved electric options,” according to a news release. Passengers can load for free.
Yotta charging stations have solar production capability and can be used on or off the grid, according to the press release. They can store up to 120 kWh of energy.
The loading sites were selected because they are near attractions where riders might stop anyway, such as a restaurant or a scenic overlook on the trail, Chasse said.
Overall, Chasse said he doesn’t expect electric vehicles to make up a large percentage of Polaris sales, at least not yet, but he thinks the numbers will grow in the coming years. Polaris is using the UP charging network as a learning opportunity and will evaluate whether it makes sense to expand this type of service.
“These are not cheap things to implement,” he said, “so this really helps us build the business case, what is the next point we could get to with infrastructure and how would we address that?”
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