User review: Polaris power for green farming enterprise

Electric vehicles are being touted as the future, but can a battery powered UTV cut it in a tough livestock farming environment? Jane Carley finds out.

At Derwydd, a mixed farming business near Corwen, Denbighshire, the Jones family are driving towards energy self-sufficiency, with their own hydro-electric system, solar panels on the farmhouse and ground and air source heating.

So when Llyr Jones started looking for his first utility vehicle, battery power was high on the shopping list.

"I have always been very against side-by-side vehicles," he confesses.

"I could not see why anyone would want to pay more for a vehicle that was slower than a quad and could not access as many places. But then we had children and the health and safety angle became important."

With 1,100 ewes and 250 dairy heifers raised for replacements plus 32,000 free range chickens on 150ha of hilly land around the farm, there is certainly a need for reliable off-road transport.

"It seemed a no-brainer to have an electric vehicle but finding one was more difficult," Mr Jones explains.

"I found that Polaris was offering an electric version of the Ranger in the USA and local dealer John Osman tracked one down for me."

The electric equivalent of the Polaris Ranger SP570, the EV uses a single 48 volt motor in place of the 570cc engine - and has the same 500kg payload and 750kg towing capacity.

It also features Polaris's established auto H/L/N/R transmission and shaft drive, plus on demand two-/four-wheel drive.

Safety

"Despite my scepticism, I love it. It is better than a quad for moving feed around and it is more pleasant for the dogs. If we are working around the farm with the children we can just sit them in the cab with their seatbelts on in safety."

The full cab provides protection from the weather and if Mr Jones needs easier access for feeding calves for example, it is a quick job to take the driver's door off to jump in and out.

On the steep hillsides and slate tracks, Macpherson Strut and Dual A Arm suspension give 22.9cm travel and braking is via four wheel hydraulic discs.

"It feels very stable and there is not many places I would not take it; you obviously do not have the benefit of engine braking down a hill but the brakes are good; it would be interesting to have regenerative braking to recharge the battery on a future version."

Power

The power is supplied by a pair of 48V Lithium batteries - lead acid is a cheaper option but Mr Jones prefers Lithium's charging flexibility.

"A lead acid battery has to be run right down before fully recharging. This I can top up as needed - I will even put it on charge while I go into the house for a cup of tea and it will add another 10 per cent."

Charging is simply via a three-pin plug which sits in the glove box - an extension cable runs to a socket in the yard for convenience.

He reckons that the Ranger will cover around 30 miles on a charge, loaded with 250kg of feed.

"It tows well and there is plenty of power, but towing inevitably drains the battery more. We tend to stay in two wheel-drive most of the time and only use low gear when it is needed to preserve battery life. It is possible to use a multiple battery pack for a longer run time but we do not really need it."

Mr Jones points out that servicing is reduced as there is no engine, although the Ranger will have an annual overhaul for wheel motors, bearings and the like.

The farm's pair of Honda quads have been retained, however.

"We have 1,000 acres a mile away on the mountain and pushing through heather and bracken would drain the battery very quickly."

Top speed

Fully homologated for the road with a top speed of 30mph and fitted with hybrid tyres for roadwork, the Ranger is also used as a shuttle for the family's holiday business, which as well as a cottage offers truly wild camping only accessible on foot or by a 4x4.

"As it is so quiet, we can run up to or past the campsite without disturbing the campers, and the lack of noise also means that the sheep are not frightened by it," says Mr Jones, who adds that the odd squeak and clatter emitted are more noticeable than on a diesel UTV where they would be drowned out by the engine.

"It is relatively new, but the build quality seems good and it has been reliable."

He points out that producing power on the farm makes absolute sense of using electric vehicles - the family also has an electric car, and JCB's electric Loadall is on the shopping list for his next telehandler purchase.

"British farms produce enough electricity for 10 million homes, and I believe that we have a role to play in supplying the population with energy as well as food. And if you can use surplus energy on the farm in a way that also benefits the environment by cutting our carbon footprint, that has to be beneficial all round."