Saturday, 29 June 2019 10:47

Electric UTV for the environmental farmer

Written by Mark Daniel

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The Hisun Sector E1 UTV.

While electric and hybrid vehicles gain traction on our roads, the concept is largely missing from the rural and off-road markets. But Hisun Motors New Zealand is ‘dipping its toes’.

It chose Fieldays to showcase its all electric Hisun Sector E1 UTV -- a mid-size, two-seat unit powered by a 48V AC drivetrain of 36hp and 298 Nm of torque.

The E1 is said to be the first electric UTV to use Discover Traction Dry Cell battery technology that has long run times and needs no maintenance.

Hisun claims the Sector E1 will operate for up to eight hours on a single charge, has a top speed of 45km/h and a range of up to 70km depending on driving style, terrain and load.

Several E1 machines have been field tested on NZ farms and the performance has matched factory estimates.

The E1 can be fully charged in six-eight hours via an onboard charging cord, located in the glovebox, which plugs into a standard 240v domestic power outlet.

Standard features include 4-wheel independent nitrogen suspension, 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, front diff lock, tilting tray, alloys and bull bars.

Load capacity for the cargo bed is 230kg and towing capacity is 680kg. Price is $16,500 + GST.

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