STOV Market Trender: Replacing Pickup Trucks

This is an update to an earlier Market Trender post about a county replacing pickups with UTVs for beach patrol.  The initial impetus for the new vehicles was a string of accidents where sunbathers were accidentally run over by life guards driving pickup trucks.  An issue in the incidents was the height of the trucks and the limited visibility they provided in the context of beachgoers laying down on the sand.  The county has purchased two vehicles and will add eight more vehicles by March.  Besides offering increased visibility, the UTVs operate better in soft sand and the open sides make it more inviting for beachgoers to approach lifeguards.  The UTVs carry a surfboard, backboard and other safety equipment.  Learn more:  Orlandosentinel.com

Columbia ParCar Recalls Vehicles For Steering Issue

Columbia ParCar, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is recalling nearly 1,400 golf, service and utility vehicles produced between July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011, which includes 2009, 2010 and 2011 models.  The vehicles are being recalled because “…the lower steering yoke can loosen where it attaches to the steering rack and pinion, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash.”  No injuries have been reported related to the issue.  Models involved in the recall include the Eagle (P4E) Golf Vehicle, Shuttle (C6E) Personnel Carrier, Tram (C10E) Personnel Carrier, Summit (SM/SUV) Utility Vehicle, Utilitruck (EU4, EU24) Utility Vehicle and Scout (S10E) Utility Vehicle.  Check the following link for specific VINs involved. Columbia ParCar dealers will be conducting free inspections and repairs as required.  Learn more:  CPSC.gov

KYMCO UTVs Recalled For Fire Hazard

KYMCO USA, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is recalling nearly 1,900 UTVs produced from 2009 to 2012.  The vehicles are being recalled because “…an exposed portion of the exhaust system can allow debris such as leaves, brush or other flammable materials to enter the opening and ignite, posing a fire hazard.”  While there have been three reports of fires, no injuries have been reported.  Models involved in the recall include the UXV 500, 500 LE, and 500 SE and the UXVi 500, 500 LE, and 500 SE.  Check the following link for specific VINs involved.  KYMCO dealers will be installing repair kits for free.  Learn more:  CPSC.gov

E-Z-GO Recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in cooperation with E-Z-GO today announced a voluntary recall of nearly 22,000 vehicles which were sold in the first half of 2011 under a number of brands including TXT golf cars, Cushman shuttle vehicles and Bad Boy off-road utility vehicles.  The cause is a defective rack rod ball joint in which “…the threaded end of the rack rod ball joint can break and the ball joint can become displaced, causing the driver to lose steering control.”  According to the CPSC consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed and contact E-Z-GO or an authorized dealer for a free repair. E-Z-GO and E-Z-GO dealers are contacting known owners. E-Z-GO can be contacted at (800) 774-3946 or visit www.ezgo.com.  For specific vehicle models and serial numbers involved in the recall visit the CPSC  website.  Learn more:  CPSC.gov

NY Times Runs Side-by-Side Safety Story

Today the New York Times published a front page story on side-by-sides, focusing mainly on their safety. The title, “An A.T.V. With Extra Room, and Maybe More Risks, Too“, is a little misleading given that the statistics they present in the story imply that they are less dangerous than ATVs. The story also covers the decline of ATVs, some of the factors driving consumers to switch to side-by-sides and the current efforts by federal regulators to create new mandatory safety standards.  These standards may push vehicles to be wider and lower which could negatively effect their trail-riding ability.  Learn more:  NYTimes.com

Garia Pushes Back On LSV Critics

I received a press release from luxury golf car/LSV manufacturer Garia last month that pushes back on some of the safety focused critics of LSVs. What is interesting to me is not so much their arguments but that a LSV manufacturer is actively confronting LSV critics.  LSV manufacturers do not have a trade association to speak with one voice for the industry and only a few of the manufacturers, Tomberlin being another one that comes to mind, have tried to combat some of the negative arguments against LSVs.  Manufacturers would certainly help their cause by coordinating some type of response to the various charges and misinformation.  Local debates concerning ordinances for using LSVs on public roads often center on safety concerns and frequently equate LSVs with golf cars.  The Garia press release follows below:

Critics of small electrical vehicles such as street legal golf carts seem to have the carts’ alleged shortcomings as their sole focus rather than the needs of consumers. However, a closer look at consumers’ needs paints a different and much more positive picture of the future of these traffic newcomers.   

Getting consumers to fully embrace the electrical vehicle as a viable alternative to gasoline driven vehicles has proven to be an uphill battle. This is especially so when it comes to street legal golf carts such as LSVs (low speed vehicles) that have been charged with criticisms on speed and safety.

This is a valid argument when comparing a battery-driven LSV; most often a golf cart that has been made street legal by adding safety features such as side mirrors and seat belts, to a big gasoline-driven vehicle designed for hour-long road trips.

“We hear the same arguments over and over again, but our product was never made for the highway. It was made for short distance transportation in an urban area”, says Henrik Hansen, President of Garia Inc., a European manufacturer of luury street legal golf carts.

A recent project* aimed at demonstrating how electrical vehicles can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and gasoline consumption in selected suburbs in California shows that trip destinations of the participating households were mostly within 3 radial miles of home, a distance that can easily be accomplished by a LSV or another electrical vehicle.

This is as good news for advocates of electrical vehicles as it is for consumers. It shows that consumers’ current driving needs matches the capability of a LSV, for example, and that consumers can cut down their gasoline budget and CO2 rate without compromising on their daily needs.

Some critics have pointed out that the rather slow speed of the LSVs (allowed to drive on public roads with a max speed of 35 mph or less) make them less safe in the traffic than traditional cars.

However, with the lower speed also comes a lower risk for the surroundings – pedestrians or cyclists – and many cities have now implemented designated lanes for LSVs.

In Surfside Beach, South Carolina, where “the golf cart is the national vehicle”, Mike Frederick, chief of Surfside Police says that “Unlike large vehicle accidents involving SUVs and motorcycles, the S.C. Highway Patrol doesn’t see many accidents involving golf carts”**.

Although safety concerns should always be taken seriously, a sensible driving style applies in all kinds of vehicles.

And what the LSVs do particularly well is meet consumers’ needs and offer a form of personal transportation that suits the green lifestyle of the future. This is guaranteed to be the key to their success.

“The Garia LSV is a luxury and quality alternative to the traditional LSV. The increasing popularity of the LSV will produce a natural need for a product that stands out from the rest and has the quality of other luxury products”, says Mr. Hansen.  

To find out more about Garia, please visit www.garia.com

Garia Press Contact: press@garia.com

*Source: “Neighborhood Electric Vehicles in Mature Suburbs”, Demonstration and Preliminary Evaluation, South Bay Cities Council of Governments, July 2011, www.southbaycities.org

**According to The Sun News: “Golf Cart Safety Not a Worry in Myrtle Beach Area”, July 2nd 2011, www.thesunnews.com

Golf Car Safety

While there are often concerns raised about golf car and LSV safety on public roads, there has been little hard data in the form of traffic statistics to suggest they are unsafe.  There are occasionally anecdotal stories about the issue and a recent one from the Myrtle Beach area suggested that safety of the vehicles is not an issue. In Myrtle Beach and some surrounding towns golf cars are allowed on certain public roads but seat belts aren’t a requirement.  Nevertheless, an increasing number of golf car owners are getting them installed.  In nearby Surfside the police chief reports that only one accident in the last three years required EMS.  He attributes most of the accidents to people driving while under the influence of alcohol which, of course, is not related to the type of vehicle but to the drivers themselves.  Learn more:  Thesunnews.com

Oregon Study Looks At LSV Impact on Transportation Infrastructure & Safety

A report published in December from the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) investigated the impact of LSVs on transportation infrastructure and safety on Oregon.

The purpose of the research was to determine positive and negative impacts that LSVs, which include Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and Medium-Speed Electric Vehicles (MSEVs), are likely to have for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oregon communities. In addition, the research explores whether adjustments in current state regulations are needed to ensure that LSVs do not negatively impact road safety and traffic operations, or expose the LSV operators to undue risk.

The results of the research included three major recommendations:

• The State of Oregon’s regulations for LSVs should be amended such that LSVs are limited to public roadways with a maximum operating speed of 25 mph, and they are restricted to crossing higher-speed roadways at four-way stops or traffic-controlled intersections.

• Local transportation authorities should work with LSV users and members of the bicycle community to develop parallel or secondary low-speed transportation networks that connect residential neighborhoods with major activity centers that include education, employment, retail, medical and recreational facilities.

• LSV users need to be educated about the safety risks of LSVs, in particular those that have a “car-like” appearance, and the safety risks of modifying the speed regulator on LSVs.

Learn more:  Transportation Research Board – OTREC Report

Insurance Institute Wants To Restrict LSVs

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) wants to restrict the use of LSVs on public roads over concerns about crash safety, or have the government review current LSV safety standards.  Based on results from recent crash tests, the IIHS believes the mixing of LSVs with larger , full-functioning vehicles is a recipe for more serious injuries and deaths in vehicle accidents.

IIHS crash test simulating a GEM being hit by an SUV

The institute recently conducted a number of crash tests including a GEM e2 simulating a side impact with a SUV traveling at 31 mph, a GEM e2 being impacted by a Smart Fortwo and similar tests with a Changan Tiger Star mini-truck.  The institutes’s position is that crashworthy enough to be on the road with larger, faster vehicles.  At the same time, the group cannot point to evidence of  “…large numbers of people being hurt or dying in such crashes.”   Learn more:  Wheels.blogs.nytimes.com

Another article on the issue provided some responses from LSV manufacturers.

Chrysler Group responds, “GEM vehicles offer customers an inexpensive, clean solution for low-speed environments and comply with (the NHTSA’s) standards for low-speed vehicles, which limit the maximum speed of the vehicle to 25 mph.”

“It’s a grave generalization to say that all LSVs are simply souped-up golf carts,” says Mike McQuary, CEO of Atlanta-based Wheego Electric Cars, which manufactures the Whip LSV. “The Wheego Whip … is a full-functioning, steel unibody automobile that certainly nobody would ever mistake for a golf cart.”

Learn more:  USAToday.com

News Briefs

Strong UTV Sales In Australian Farming Segment – An Australian farming magazine reports about the increasing demand for UTVs and the entry of new manufacturers like Honda, Case IH and New Holland into the market.  Learn more:  FW.farmonline.com.au

Platinum Group Acquires Tiziani Golf Car of Minnesota – The Platinum Group, a private equity fund that focuses on underperforming companies or those in need of turnaround expertise, recently purchased the assets of Tiziani Golf Car of Minnesota.  The company will be renamed Superior Golf Cars and will continue to be the exclusive distributor of Club Car vehicles in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.  Learn more:  peHub.com

Phillips Develops Crosswalk System For Silent Vehicles – Phillips is developing an LED based crosswalk lighting system to warn pedestrians of approaching but silent vehicles such as electric buses, autos and scooters.   The embedded LEDs react to approaching vehicles the same way traffic lights do by changing color from green to amber to red.
Learn more:  Worldcarnews.com

Phillips Develops LED Crosswalk System