2010 Polaris Innovations!

A few more details to consider are that this machine seats two, makes use of an independent rear suspension with a whopping 9 inches of travel in the rear and 8 inches of travel in the front. Ground clearance on the EV is 10 inches and is more than capable of attacking even the more vicious types of terrain. And for those hard-working purposes, the rear cargo box is rated to carry up to 500 pounds, and the machine is rated to tow up to 1250 pounds. That's not bad for an electric side-by-side. But before diving into the performance of the vehicle, I thought it was important to point out that all 2010 Ranger vehicles including the EV are delivered from the factory with an ROPS-certified cab, which should help all of us relax a little easier in the event of an accidental rollover.

Performancewise, allow me to warn you that you most likely don't want to compete in a mud bog competition, tackle huge gnarly boulders or even climb Mount Everest with the new Ranger EV, but anything else is game. As a matter of fact, Eli and I were absolutely shocked at how easily the EV tackled steep off-cambered inclines without the slightest bit of struggle. Believe me when I say this: The power was extremely peppy and is more than adequate for conquering many if not most obstacles you'll encounter on the trail. But even with the peppy power one thing was extremely strange for us: We could actually speak with one another without raising our voices. For me, that was just too weird with awkward silences and the struggle of finding words to say! In all seriousness, though, the suspension handled fairly well and the overall ride was comfortable. The only complaint I heard out of Eli was the lack of tilt in the steering wheel. You had better be OK with its position as it is definitely permanent.

Wrapping this up is pretty easy for me as I was extremely impressed at what the Ranger EV was capable of. As far as comparing it to a gas powered side-by-side, it's not quite as good, but a lot closer than I ever would have imagined. I honestly believe that this is for sure a step in the right direction, and it's only a matter of time before this new innovation begins to rival those common types of machines that rule the dirt today. We can't wait for some extended time testing on the EV, so stay tuned.

Sportsman 850 And 550 Touring EPS
Another significant addition to Polaris' 2010 lineup is that of the Sportsman 850 and 550 Touring machines. Remember last year Polaris released the groundbreaking Sportsman 850 and 550 ATVs, and this year it has added the Touring edition to this new line of Sportsman. The Sportsman Touring is powered by either the 850cc twin EFI, which puts out 70 horses, or the 550cc single that outputs 42. Polaris added an engine-braking system (EBS) with active descent control (ADC) to help keep the machine at manageable speeds down steep hills. In the transmission, a roller-driven clutch is used to reduce friction and provide smoother and faster clutch response, and in low range the machine can reach speeds up to 39 mph. The on-demand all-wheel-drive system automatically engages when the rider is in need of more traction and reverts back to 2WD automatically when AWD is no longer required.