Introducing the Club Car UTV, a small, neighborhood-legal electric vehicle that, according to its manufacturer, combines the practicality of a pickup truck with the efficiency of a golf cart for transporting crews and materials around the job site. In fact, it’s so good that it has me asking myself: “Is this the most practical electric pickup truck you can buy?”
Now that the Tesla Cybertruck has become the best-selling electric pickup truck in the US, I think it’s time to ask ourselves what makes a truck a truck, because flat sides, low polygons, and post-apocalyptic wedge shapes just don’t do it for me.
Meanwhile, what about the Club Car Urban UTV? It’s available with a 6.9-foot pickup bed and comes standard with a cargo capacity of 2,204 pounds. That’s nearly 400 pounds more than a midsize Ford Ranger and about the same as a full-size Chevrolet Silverado 1500. In other words, it’s a good enough truck — more than enough for hauling tools, parts, plants, lawns, or whatever else you might need around a campus or industrial park.
The Club Car Urban UTV hauls 2,204 pounds of cargo much more efficiently than a traditional full-size truck.
“Today, most campus operations teams use pickup trucks to handle their facility management needs,” said Jeff Tyminski, vice president of product management at Club Car. “[Pickups]are the wrong tool for many jobs. A mixed fleet of traditional pickup trucks and electric utility vehicles will improve operational productivity, lower ownership costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Club Car cites lower purchase and operating costs as one of the many benefits of its Urban UTV: Like the truck itself, the box van version of the Club Car Urban UTV offers levels of payload and hauling capacity that rival “traditional” vehicle options.
The Club Car Urban is powered by a 12.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, giving it a driving range of up to 62 miles (100 km). In XR trim, the Club Car can reach a top speed of 19 mph (30 km/h), while the LSV can reach a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h).
“Our industrial and commercial customers are looking for street-legal, 100% electric, low-cost, safe on-road transportation,” said Club Car president Mark Wagner, “and the Urban will be the ideal solution.”
Electrek’s take
The new Urban platform expands Club Car’s EV portfolio. Via Club Car .
Every fleet manager eventually asks: do you need a bed or payload? When they ask that question, they’re usually trying to decide between a Ford Maverick and an F-150. But with a Club Car Urban UTV, you get a bed and payload — and for $20,000-30,000 less than a traditional half-ton truck.
It’s almost as if no one actually needs big trucks, right?
But rather than being practical, Ford is going to make a ton of money by offering more low-tech, high-profit margin 3/4-ton full-size pickup trucks. Let me know in the comments what you think about this fun fact.
Source | Images: Club Car, Equipment World.
FTC: We use automated affiliate links that generate revenue. Learn more.
