The world’s first true hybrid gas/electric utility vehicle has hit the market, thanks to creative thinking and good-old American ingenuity from American SportWorks. This hybrid UTV is truly unique. Not only does it feature completely integrated gas and electric drivetrains, but they power a crew cab vehicle with two forward-facing bench seats. The result is one of the most flexible and capable off-road utility vehicles that we have ever encountered.
The American SportWorks Crew Cab Hybrid is a four-wheel drive off-road utility vehicle that employs two completely separate and yet integrated drivetrains. A familiar 653cc Subaru OHV V-twin engine that makes 22 horsepower and 33.6 foot-pounds of torque powers the rear wheels, while a 24kw 48-volt electric motor (juiced by four 12V Trojan deep-cycle batteries) powers the front wheels. These drivetrains can be used separately to create a two-wheel drive scenario or used together to create a four-wheel drive scenario.
In electric-only mode, the electric motor powers the front wheels to create an extremely quiet, smooth, clean, and inexpensive driving experience that is perfect for most of the short trips and duties that owners are likely to encounter around their property. In gas-only mode, the big Subaru engine delivers enough power to the rear wheels to muscle up tough terrain and to pull heavy payloads on longer trips. (The gas engine can also recharge the batteries for even longer ranges.) Use both simultaneously, and the resulting four-wheel drive provides the capability to dig through mud and all sorts of slippery conditions.
An extended 104-inch wheelbase and two forward-facing bench seats create standard seating for four adults in combination with a tilting 400-pound capacity polyethylene dump bed. Plus, with the addition of the optional “S” series extended steel cargo bed and integrated rearward-facing flip seat, you can add two more riders, making room for a total of six adults.
A double A-arm front suspension with adjustable shocks and articulated rear swing arm suspension with quad adjustable shocks provide up to 3 inches of travel. Hydraulic front disc brakes and hydraulic rear drum brakes provide confident stopping ability and regenerative braking to recharge the batteries. And it is loaded with other premium features too, including a locking differential, 25-inch tires, 35-watt headlamps, 3-point lap and shoulder belts, and a 2-inch rear receiver hitch.
Perhaps the best part is that all of this is made in America at the American SportWorks assembly plant in Roseland, Louisiana. For more information on the Crew Cab Hybrid or any of the Landmaster utility vehicles, you can contact Power Equipment Solutions, LLC in Vandalia, Ohio at 800-466-7149 or www.powerequipmentsolutions.com.
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