Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[reini]

... to build electric snowmobiles and ORVs:

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/custom/polaris

[Richard230]

I received that email too. I am not too surprised considering how off-road and watercraft vehicles are being squeezed by environmental and noise regulations. This makes sense for Polaris and is really good news for Zero as it finally has them partnering with a huge multi-national company with deep pockets and a worldwide distribution and retail network. 

It just occurred to me that Zero was smart not to partner with Harley Davidson. H-D has invested in and bought other motorcycle companies going back to the early 1960's and I can't recall a single time that worked out well for the companies that they partnered with - or H-D, for that matter. 

[PNWBoy]

It just occurred to me that Zero was smart not to partner with Harley Davidson. H-D has invested in and bought other motorcycle companies going back to the early 1960's and I can't recall a single time that worked out well for the companies that they partnered with - or H-D, for that matter. 

RIP Alta

[stargazerinwg]

X2 regarding what HD did to Alta.

[Brammofan]

RIP Buell.

[Say10 15FX 16FXS]

Just read this and screamed as if I'd seen the Frankenstein monster!!!!

[Crissa]

Well, sounds good for Zero. Their motors have been really popular, so much so that spare parts for a Zero stay annoyingly expensive ;

Harley-Davidson grabbed Alta, Can-Am got Brammo, and Damon has Mission. All good motors, but none a functioning company. Polaris was falling behind.

-Crissa

[JaimeC]

Well, sounds good for Zero. Their motors have been really popular, so much so that spare parts for a Zero stay annoyingly expensive ;

Harley-Davidson grabbed Alta, Can-Am got Brammo, and Damon has Mission. All good motors, but none a functioning company. Polaris was falling behind.

-Crissa

No, POLARIS got Brammo.  For awhile they sold the Empulse under the Victory name before they shuttered that brand altogether.  On Facebook people were wondering WHY Polaris would partner with Zero when they already had all of Brammo's IP.

I found the answer in Cycle World's article covering this story.  Polaris SOLD all of their Brammo holdings to Cummins a couple of years ago.  THAT'S why we never saw an electric "Indian."  Pretty damn short-sighted of them.  Now they have to pay someone else for technology they once had free access to.

[Crissa]

Right, Can-Am bought Alta after HD.

Argh, so many dance partners.

Mergers lose engineers, though, so they're bad.  Partnerships are better.

-Crissa

[gregj]

If Polaris has Zero maybe Australia might get zero back and at a better price?

[JaimeC]

If Polaris has Zero maybe Australia might get zero back and at a better price?

If I read that right, Polaris did NOT "get Zero."  They entered into a partnership where Zero provides them with motors and battery technology which they will use to create electric snowmobiles and other off road recreational vehicles.  That's good because I'd rather not see Zero swallowed up by a bigger company.  That NEVER works out well for the little guy (Buell, Altus, Mission, Brammo etc).

[NEW2elec]

Well it's about time Zero got into 4 wheelers even if it's just helping to make them.  I think there could be a big market for the quads and the side by sides in the rural market.  Hunting and working around livestock is ideal for quiet smooth high torque electric power.


Now if someone would just make something that allows people to plug in power tools and use the battery packs for landscaping and construction and farm work that would be great.    

[Crissa]

Yeah, nothing better than not scaring animals except never needing to fetch gas from town.

-Crissa

[Shadow]

This is going to be... awkward?... for the Polaris dealership that lost its dealership agreement with Zero Motorcycles in Reno NV USA.

Are there any production EV snowmobiles in the market? I'm thinking of Tiaga have they shipped anything? Would Polaris be the first to market?

[Richard230]

Here is more spin regarding this new partnership by the two new partners. Polaris has more to say about their company than does Zero. Brammo even deserved a mention in Polaris's comments: https://electricmotorcycles.news/polaris-announces-partnership-with-zero-motorcycles/

My recollection is that there is at least one company manufacturing (or maybe developing a prototype) an electric snowmobile. I think I saw an article about that last winter. Also, didn't that company that sells a two-wheel EV that looks like a large Honda Ruckrus scooter, have a way to power electrical tools from their removable on-board batteries? There are a lot of good EV ideas floating around, the problem is bringing them to market in volume and getting the public to buy them. Perhaps Polaris is the one to do it.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that they don't get cold feet again like they did with their Brammo adventure. Their corporate board does not seem like the adventurous type when it comes to investments that cost money.