Quick guide to electric ATVs
Would you buy an electric ATV?
Several electric ATVs and UTVs have snuck onto the UK market over the last couple of years.
But despite the potential savings of running battery-powered machines they’re hardly flying off the shelves, so what’s stopping people buying them?
To shed some light, we’ve put together a quick guide to electric ATVs.
Are all manufacturers making electric versions?
Not yet. Japanese giants like Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki still seem pretty unwilling to stray from tried and tested petrol power. So it’s been left to smaller companies who lack the marketing clout of the big boys.
But is running battery-powered off-road vehicles practical?
Relying on battery power means electric ATVs are pretty cheap to run, quiet and usually match petrol and diesel versions for performance (over shorter distances at least).
There are question marks about how long the machines can actually run for, though. Diesels might manage 320 miles on one tank of fuel, while an electric version will manage closer to 32 miles. Cold weather and heavy-going conditions can reduce battery life even more.
How cheap are they to run?
Day-today running costs are very small. The machines are effectively free to run when charged using a renewable source such as wind turbine or solar panel, while charging from a 13amp socket costs less than 50p a time off-peak.
The Eco Charger ATV, for example, costs about £49 to run over 3,650 miles (recharging the batteries every 30 miles). In comparison, a petrol ATV covering the same distance at 20mpg would cost £1,160 to run.
Are there other costs to think about?
Yes, batteries don’t last forever. Deep cycle (long-life) batteries tend to manage about 1,000 charges before they need replacing, and cost about £130 each.
You’ll probably pay more to buy the machine in the first place, too. Electric ATVs tend to be 15-20% dearer.
