INSIDE
By Stephen Metzger
Managing Director
Small Vehicle Resource, LLC
[email protected]
www.smallvehicleresource.com
THE GATED
COMMUNITY
Is There an UMV in Your
Future?
S
mall Vehicle Resource (SVR), for which
I am Managing Director, as you can
see from the masthead, has just pub-
lished a report on what we call the small,
task-oriented vehicle (STOV) industry. STOVs
include golf cars and PTVs, as well as off-
road vehicles. This report is the ninth in a
series of biennial analyses of the industry and
its markets, the first being published in 2000.
You can link to information on the report
here: https://www.smallvehicleresource.com/
blog/2019-small-task-oriented-vehicles-study/.
We in the gated community are, of course,
most interested in the first two vehicle
types. But what about small vehicles, elec-
tric-powered to be sure, that have vastly
increased performance metrics and thus far
more versatile in terms of use? These latter
vehicles are starting to come to market and
are likely to proliferate in the 2020s. These
vehicles I call “urban mobility vehicles” or
UMVs. I will give you a quick glance at some
examples of these vehicles below, but first
some key points in SVR’s report.
Key findings in the SVR industry report
Some of the important findings in the cur-
rent report include:
• As the golf fleet market continues its slow
decline, the Big Three manufacturers—
Club Car, E-Z-GO, and Yamaha—are
focusing on personal transportation
vehicles (PTVs) for sales growth;
• Light duty vehicles, especially electric
powered also have on-going growth
prospects;
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WWW.GOLFCAROPTIONS.COM
• Lithium batteries will play a major role in building sales of
all small vehicle types;
• Beyond golf cars and PTVs there are significant
opportunities for the industry in the emerging market of
urban mobility transportation systems;
• With relatively modest opportunities for growth in
traditional market channels (including the off-road
segment), we may well see the Big Three move into the
UMV space.
Prospects for a major transition
What does the UMV offer that the PTV doesn’t? Introducing
the Uniti One UMV, which was developed in Sweden and is
now in production mode in the U.K.
The Uniti One is narrow-dimensioned vehicle with tandem
seating, specifically designed for an urban environment.
The company expects to have a production model in late
2019 and projects a 2020 market entry.
Taken from the company website, these are the key target
specifications:
• 240km (150 mi.) range
• 130km/h (81 mph) top speed
• Rear wheel drive
• Dual motors output of
120kW
• 26kWh battery pack, DC
fast charging
• 25min from 20-80% on
standard charge
• 900kg (1980 lbs.) gross
weight
Uniti One urban/suburban
electric MUV