Sevcon is to supply specialist components for a new range of off-road electric vehicles being built in the USA.
The company has developed a new generation of AC motor controllers for electric vehicles which Polaris will use in the company's RANGER EV product.
Polaris, manufacturer of ATVs, Side-by-Sides, snow mobiles and motorcycles, will incorporate Sevcon's new Gen 4 motor controller in its 2010 RANGER EV Electric Side-by-Side vehicle.
The Side-by-Side, the first electric vehicle Polaris has created for off road, will be used worldwide for farming, ranching, hunting and recreational riding. It is fully plug rechargeable.
The Gen 4 controller supplied by Sevcon provides the vehicle's motor drive control - channelling the energy produced by the battery smoothly and effectively as well as integrating other functions including the throttle, direction, handbrake and other key switches. The Gen4 also channels recovered vehicle braking energy back to the battery to further extend vehicle range and efficiency.
Gen 4 is the most advanced range of controllers Sevcon has ever engineered. They have the smallest footprint in the industry for their power capability, enhancing the controllability and smoothness of the vehicle in which they operate. The high efficiency of the controller makes it possible to integrate into a very tight space without compromising performance.
They can be used in traditional AC motors and newer PMAC motors. The Gen4 range supports 24V to 96V nominal batteries systems and up to 700 A peak currents.
Dave Lamb, global applications engineering manager at Sevcon, said, "Polaris is a leader in ATV and Side-by-Side manufacturing. We've been developing a close working relationship with them for some time and are delighted that Sevcon Gen 4 motor controllers will provide the vehicle drive control for the RANGER EV."
The new all electric Side-by-Side is a first for Polaris and will fill a void in the current marketplace which has few capable, electric models available.
The unit represents the very latest in off-road electric vehicles and Gen 4 is an essential component of the technology being used.
Gen 4 represents the absolute latest design concept for compact and reliable controllers. They are compact, powerful, reliable and very rugged, which makes it possible to integrate them into very tight spaces, and tough environments like an ATV or Side-by-Side, without sacrificing performance. They have the smallest footprint in the industry for their power capacity.
Formed in 1962, Sevcon is a Nasdaq listed company (Tech/Ops Sevcon Inc 'TO'). It boasts an impressive roster of blue chip clients including many of the biggest utility, fork lift truck and powered access vehicle makers such as Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, JLG and NACCO.
The performance of the new Polaris RANGER EV is unmatched in the mid-sized electric side-by-side class. Clean and quiet it has a top speed of 25 mph.
Other key features of the new Polaris vehicle include a 30 HP 48 Volt High efficiency AC Inducted Motor, On-Demand True All-Wheel Drive and smooth independent rear suspension. It also is rechargeable by plugging into a standard AC outlet.