Electric vehicles are both coming and here to stay. Even with current politics getting in the way of advancements through the cuts in subsidies and research into those technologies, multi-billion-dollar companies aren't going to put away the countless millions they've spent on research and development on the technologies, so we'll continue to press forward.
And you've seen that in the likes of Can-Am's EV ATV, Royal Enfield's upcoming electric motorcycles, and Polaris' EV Rangers. As well as the company's patents for EV everything. The future waits for no one man.
But there's a glut of gasoline-powered powersport vehicles that still remain in our hands, on the road, and on the trails. And with that electric future fast approaching—still measured in decades, for me—what happens when oil and gasoline are no more? What happens to all our machines once the tap runs dry or we mandate our way out of the global warming crisis? We're still going to want to blaze across landscapes and dunes to our heart's content. But what do we do if we can't fill our tanks?
Easy, it's time for an EV swap, and Super Powers Mobility, a startup company out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wants to help you in that regard either by giving you the kit to do it yourself, or doing it for you and selling you a ground-up EV-swapped side-by-side. And it's starting with the Polaris RZR.
First spotted by our friends at UTV Driver, Super Powers Mobility is a small startup started by an ex-Tesla engineer who worked on the brand's Cybertruck, and also worked on the Honda Pioneer 1000. But the idea behind the company all started when a friend of the company's founder Jonathan Powers totalled his own Polaris RZR S 800, which then let him purchase a newer RZR XP 1000. And after some years, that same XP 1000 became the basis for his tinkering and subsequent prototype.
Powers removed the RZR's gas drivetrain and swapped in a purpose-built EV kit composed of a 470V motor and 10kWh battery, though a double battery pack will also be available. According to the company, that's good for 165 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. The motor itself, however, weighs just 35 pounds, so the power-to-weight density is solid for the application of something like a side-by-side where you'll feel extra weight.
Range, however, is a meager 24 to 33 miles for the single pack, while the double battery, well, doubles that. Yeah, that's not exactly great in my eyes.
The coolest feature, however, is that Super Powers Mobility designed the kit form of the swap to be completed in just 12 hours. For anyone who's swapped a motor before, you'll know how freakin' quick that is. And for those who haven't, that's lightning.
For those who don't want to swap the parts themselves, there is a fully-built version that you can purchase, too, where Super Powers Mobility will sell you a turn-key model. But that'll cost you, as the EV kit has an asking price of $29,000, while the fully-built version will start at $50,000. With the latter option, you'll also get a new CageWrx frame, new bumpers, roof, and doors, as well as a steering quickened from Hess Motorsports, and OMF Performance wheels shod inMaxxis tires, driven by SuperATV Rhino 2.0 axles.
There are optional extras, too.
According to the brand's site, "The Super Powers Mobility EVK is a plug and play high voltage electric powertrain EV-Kit for UTVs. It has many more applications than just a UTV powertrain, but we’ve designed this powertrain to be universally compatible with any UTV with a CVT. The EVK transforms your vehicle into a high performance electric monster. If you’re looking for next generation power and reduced maintenance, buy this kit."
Currently, the company is accepting pre-orders for both the kit and the fully-built package, with the reservation costing you $100—it is refundable. As to when we'd see the kit or the full UTV, that's unclear as there's no date on the reservation page. But speaking with UTV Driver, the company stated "the eventual goal is 500 to 1,000 units produced and sold over the next year or two." In order "To get there," however, the company "envisions a small group of 10 or more 'Alpha' customers to help spread the gospel organically."
But hey, it's only $100.
