How many times have you left camp in the middle of the night to get a head start on other hunters and hike miles into what you thought was the back country? You are sitting in the perfect spot and waiting for legal shooting light to come. You are sure that this is your lucky morning when the silence is broken by a distant ATV. The noise grows louder and louder and you see animals start moving into the opposite direction of the noise. What could have been a great morning is now a bad memory.

This entire scenario would have been completely different had that ATV been a Polaris EV. This unit is a midsized side by side ranger similar to their 400, but this one is electric, which means it is stealthy. Absolutely no noise and is powered by a 48 volt AC high-efficiency induction motor throwing out 30 horsepower. It has a top speed of 25 miles per hour and three different power ranges. The low power is for towing, mid range provides you with the most range, and high power option is for performance. A full charge will provide you a 50 mile range on flat ground. The unit self charges on the downhill as well.

I had the opportunity to get this machine out in the hills to field test it with Josh Harris who is the general manager of Stephen Wade Power Sports in St. George, Utah. We wanted to make sure we would be testing it in a true outdoor environment and there are some great areas west of town. How do you start it or know that it is running? Turn the key on, select a power range and direction of forward or reverse and you are off and running completely noise free. We had a full charge when we backed the unit off the trailer and immediately went through all the power ranges. The high range produced more than a comfortable speed to travel on the loose gravel roads with sharp turns. The next test to tackle was the hill climbing ability. A fifty degree angle hill with pea gravel on top of loose dirt would provide a true challenge for any unit at slower speeds. In low range and only two wheel drive, the unit didn’t spin out at all and continued to climb all the way to the top with power to spare. Since this was an ideal hill for climbing, we did test number two which was in four wheel drive and low power. I provided minimum power to the unit as to just crawl up the hill and at the half way point, we made a complete stop. Upon hitting the power pedal, we climbed back to the top without any problems whatsoever. I was estatic with the uphill climbing performance and now it was time for the downhill testing. Many ATV’s that I have owned and field tested get a little scary going downhill because of the clutch system. You either ride the brakes to the bottom or give it gas to keep the clutch engaged. Since we already had the best hill in the area identified, we just had to go the other direction. In low range, and pointed straight down the steep hill, we inched over the top and started our descent. I was actually forced to provide power to get the unit rolling and when power was removed, the unit slowed to almost a crawl and was easily managed. The unit was charging itself on this downhill push as well. We hit the next hill at a higher speed, but still in the low range and we continued to roll faster than I would like with no power applied. One tap onto the power pedal and the unit slowed back to a manageable crawl.

After two and half hours of driving nonstop on different terrain we had only used a quarter of our power available. This vehicle is the perfect outdoor recreation vehicle. With a 500 pound capacity in the box bed, you have plenty of room to haul all your equipment and your trophy. If you opt to haul a small trailer, you tow capacity tops out at 1250 pounds. As with all the Polaris Ranger products, the “Lock and Ride” system is in place. So, you can place a gun rack or toolbox in the back without it sliding around. If you would like your EV to have a cab and keep you out of the weather, that option is available as well. If you need a snow plow, that option is available as well. If you are concerned about running out of power while you are in the woods, throw in a small generator and increase your distance as far as you could imagine. This unit comes in two different colors; boardwalk blue and mossy oak breakup.

I would recommend this product for anyone looking for a side by side unit for any outdoor reason. This is a golf cart on steroids and the battery replacement cost is significantly lower than other electric outdoor vehicles. Stop by and visit Josh Harris and his staff at Stephen Wade Power Sports for a test drive for yourself. Or log onto www.polarisindustries.com for more information.