Tag Archive for: Ranger

Polaris reveals electric RANGER plans

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Polaris reveals electric RANGER plans: Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) today unveiled plans to debut an all-new 2022 electric RANGER utility side-by-side in late December 2021, advancing the Company’s strategic rEV’d up electrification strategy.

This full-size RANGER is the first electric vehicle Polaris developed through its powersports industry-exclusive partnership with Zero Motorcycles®, which the two companies announced last September. The Company expects the new electric RANGER to start arriving in dealerships in early 2022.

Polaris reveals electric RANGER plans

Polaris reveals electric RANGER plans

“Our rEV’d up strategy positions Polaris to help define yet another chapter in powersports innovation,” said Mike Speetzen, interim CEO, Polaris Inc. “With the rising interest in electric vehicles, we are investing in electrification in order to meet the needs of current customers as well as appeal to tomorrow’s riders. The all-new electric RANGER is our latest effort aimed at leading the industry forward in this area.”

As part of the Polaris rEV’d up strategy, the all-new full-size electric RANGER spearheads the company’s long-term plan to accelerate its leadership in powersports electrification.  Design and development efforts for the all-new electric RANGER are currently underway in North America.

“The strength of our partnership with Zero Motorcycles and our own investments in electrification R&D enable us to leverage advancements in electric powertrains and performance to drive the off-road industry into the future,” said Mike Donoughe, senior vice president and chief technical officer, Polaris Inc. “This will be one of the most technically advanced off-road vehicles on the market and reinforces Polaris’ position as the innovation leader in powersports.”

“As our top-selling off-road vehicle brand, RANGER has continually set the benchmark as the hardest working, smoothest riding UTV, leading the market in rider-inspired innovation,” said Steve Menneto, president of Polaris Off Road. “The new electric powertrain will elevate the RANGER platform to a whole new level of capability, durability and performance.”

“We’ve actively engaged our RANGER customers, and without a doubt, there is significant demand for even higher levels of performance and capability,” added Menneto. “They’ve expressed some very specific unmet needs, and our new electric full-size RANGER will effectively address them, unlocking a truly enhanced off-road experience.”

For further media information on Polaris ORV products, please contact the Polaris ORV Media Office on +44 (0) 1525 270100 or email us at press@polaris-orv.media.

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Ranger on the rails

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Ranger on the rails: Known as ‘rail buggies’, utility vehicles are not new to the railway maintenance industry, but the development of the custom Polaris Rail Ranger presented an opportunity to innovate the design, including the introduction of technology and equipment which is normally reserved for bigger, more expensive plant equipment.

The custom Ranger was built by Fitzgerald Plant Services Ltd, an established provider of specialist services for the rail and construction industries, including repair work, maintenance, engineering and heavy haulage transport. Based in Cwmbran, South Wales, Fitzgerald Plant Services aims to provide a one-stop-shop for all of their customers’ requirements – including specialist solutions like the Polaris Ranger.

Ranger on the rails

Ranger on the rails

“These machines are very versatile and can be utilised in a number of different ways,” said Clayton Greenman, Fitzgerald Plant Services Ltd Engineering Manager. “That’s one reason why they’re so suited to working on the rails because it depends a lot on what kind of maintenance work the contractors are undertaking. Transporting personnel, towing trailers with tools and equipment, weed spraying, leaf clearance, track inspections – the Rail Ranger is the ideal vehicle to do it all.”

Supported by their local Polaris dealer – Usk & Wye Valley ATV Ltd – who serve the Monmouth and Forest of Dean areas, the Polaris Ranger was selected because of its refined cab that offers the option to be fully enclosed with the addition of doors, a windshield, rear panel and roof, alongside its class-leading capabilities and durability.

Initially building a prototype with a Polaris Ranger Diesel, Fitzgerald Plant Services will have delivered four Polaris Ranger vehicles to operate across UK rail lines by the end of this year, with many more custom builds planned for 2021.

“From the initial brief to the delivered prototype, the diesel machine took around three years to develop,” continued Clayton. “Building the machine in compliance with the Network Rail standards is understandably very time consuming due to the testing and documentation required. Development of the prototype petrol Ranger Crew XP 1000 took less than 4 months as we gained a lot of experience from the previous diesel project. Now we’re in series production, we can complete a full rail conversion in about 3 weeks.”

The custom Ranger vehicles are fitted with spacers to give them a wider track width, ensuring the tyres sit correctly on the railhead, as well as specially-mounted rail gear, an air braking system and hydraulic systems. As the Polaris chassis has been designed to accommodate a snow plough, the same mounting points could be utilised to fit the front rail equipment, however, the chassis had to be specially adapted for the rear equipment. The hydraulic system controls the raising and lowering of the rail bogies and the hydraulic trailer park brake, using a 12-volt DC electro/hydraulic power pack powered from the battery. There is also a 12-volt DC twin air compressor which powers the air brake system – a requirement for towing trailers on the UK rail infrastructure.

Fitzgerald Plant Services Ltd added its own custom display, controllers and software to control the various rail systems and operate as effectively as possible. The operator can get real-time updates on machine status and operate the functions via a user interface. There are also password-protected menus for service engineers where all the system diagnostic information and calibration settings are found.

For more information on the Polaris Ranger, please visit the Polaris Britain website here.

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Polaris Release Ranger Stories

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Polaris Release Ranger Stories: The Polaris RANGER is one of the bestselling utility side-by-sides across the globe and has earned its reputation as the ultimate utility vehicle with over one million vehicles built to date.

To showcase the versatility of the RANGER and the diversity of its customers, Polaris have embarked on a journey across Europe, Middle East and Africa to discover and film how customers are using the Polaris RANGER in their day-to-day lives. The initiative, called Ranger Stories, is set to demonstrate the many ways in which the RANGER line-up is servicing customer lives worldwide, over and above utility use.

Polaris Release Ranger Stories

Episode 1 – Norway

Life can be tough for a resident in the northernmost part of Norway and getting around can be very difficult, although not for Sven – a Polaris RANGER 570 owner – who uses the off-road vehicle to carry on with his day-to-day life, even in the harshest conditions.

Kicking off the first of the Ranger Stories series, Polaris filmed with a customer in Alta, Norway, who uses his Ranger 570 for daily travel when conditions are too treacherous for a conventional car. Sven lives in Alta, a town known for its spectacular views of the Northern Lights and home to the beautiful Sorrisniva Ice Hotel, which is on the northern coast of Norway and only around 1,400 miles from the North Pole. The winter conditions can be extreme; temperatures can drop below minus 30 degrees Celsius and the landscape can be completely covered in deep snow in every direction.

With its dependable 44 HP Prostar® engine, the RANGER not only delivers reliability when it’s needed the most, but also has excellent fuel efficiency and ease of maintenance for everyday use. For driving in thick snow and ice, the RANGER 570 has on-demand all-wheel drive that means all four wheels engage automatically when the vehicle needs more forward traction and reverts back to 2WD when it doesn’t. Paired with handy accessories like the built-in winch mount, easy-to-install Lock & Ride Glacier Plow system, and weatherproof Pro Shield Cab system to keep the elements out, the RANGER is the ideal vehicle for an unforgiving climate like Norway.

Catch the first episode of RANGER Stories in Norway across Polaris Off-Road social media channels, or watch and download the video here.

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Polaris Ranger Diesel Available

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Polaris Ranger Diesel Available: There has never been a better time to purchase the Ranger Diesel.

Polaris announced earlier this year that all Polaris Ranger Diesel models (excluding Crew) will be supplied with a poly roof and rear panel as standard.

Polaris Ranger Diesel Available

Also, the Ranger Diesel HD EPS EU is now available for just £11,999 excluding VAT when purchased between 25 February and 30 April 2019. This offer provides customers with a saving of £400 excluding VAT.

Customers can also take advantage of the Polaris 0% finance scheme, available over two years with 2 + 22 monthly payments up to a maximum of 80% of the Recommended Retail Price. The 0% finance can include genuine Polaris UTV accessories up to the value of £1,000 excluding VAT.

Full details of the Polaris Ranger Diesel and 0% finance schemes, including terms and conditions, are available at your nearest Polaris dealer.

Also, by popular demand, Polaris is again offering a free Half Cab package to customers who purchase a new Ranger Diesel HD EPS EU or Tractor between 25 February and 31 March 2019. The package includes a fixed glass windshield for extra protection against the elements and a washer/wiper kit with battery connection cables.

This offer provides a further saving of £780 excluding VAT, offering customers a combined saving of up to £1,180 excluding VAT against the original RRP.

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Celebrating 20 Years Of The Polaris RANGER

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Celebrating 20 Years Of The Polaris RANGER: As the curtain closes on the Polaris RANGER 20th birthday celebrations in 2018, two lucky winners celebrated the milestone in true style after winning the ‘Ultimate Ranger Experience’ competition, going on an unforgettable trip to Naxos in Greece, courtesy of Polaris.

Crowned winners of the competition that celebrated a double decade of the iconic side-by-side utility machine, UK-based Peter Goble and Elizabeth Toft, won the trip of a lifetime after submitting images showing how they use a Polaris Ranger as part of their work for the NHS North West Ambulance Service.

Celebrating 20 Years Of The Polaris RANGER

Hosted by Auto Moto Falcon, a rental company utilising Polaris machines in Naxos, the winners spent two days exploring off-road routes in a RANGER® XP 900 EPS, experiencing famous tourist spots, beautiful scenery and some of the island’s hidden treasures.

The competition asked owners across the world to send in a photo of their own personal RANGER® experience. Peter and Elizabeth won one of the EMEA experiences up for grabs with their photo submission of a RANGER® being used for emergency transport services. They both work for the NHS North West Ambulance Service and use the specially-modified RANGER® to access difficult terrains, such as moorland, where a standard ambulance wouldn’t be able to go.

Elizabeth said: “We were both really shocked when we heard that we had won the ‘Ultimate RANGER Experience’ competition, but equally delighted. We already thought the RANGER was a very capable and hardworking vehicle but experiencing this on the off-road trails in Naxos was completely different than what we’re used to!”

The pair flew out to Athens on 28th September, followed by a ferry transporting them to the island of Naxos. For the duration of their trip, Peter and Elizabeth stayed in the luxury modern Galaxy Hotel; a typically Greek hotel just a few steps away from Saint George beach. After some initial downtime in the hotel, Polaris arranged two sightseeing-packed days for the winners to enjoy their time in Naxos alongside the RANGER®.

On Saturday 29th September, the group departed for an off-road guided tour to the north of the island following a morning briefing with the RANGER®. They first travelled to the fishermen village of Apollonas for lunch, stopping on the way at the cliffs for a panoramic view of the island. The group then took dirt tracks across the island, passing famous local marble quarries, and finally reached Naxos town where they had time to shop, eat and see the local landmarks.

On Sunday 30th September, the group travelled to the southwest coast for the best beaches of the island, stopping at Agia Anna, a sandy beach with clear blue waters, and ending in Alyko to see the well-known Wild Drawings art on an abandoned hotel. The group then continued to reach the highest peak in the Cyclades at the top of Zeus mountain, to visit Naxos’ oldest monastery, Photodotis. They then went to Apiranthos Village to have lunch at the world-famous Rotonda Restaurant, surrounded by some of the most impressive views of Naxos.

“We were shown parts of the island that we wouldn’t have known existed, and the places we travelled to in the RANGER were beautiful. The tours of the island were truly unforgettable, and our guide was extremely accommodating and very knowledgeable about the RANGER. We didn’t quite appreciate just how popular the RANGER is abroad, so the experience has really opened our eyes to how versatile the Polaris vehicles are in a different environment. A massive thank you to Polaris for the opportunity, we will definitely be going back to visit the island again soon!”

Forming a key part of the Polaris product line as their best-selling utility vehicle, the RANGER® is used globally for a variety of tasks. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the iconic model, just a few months after the brand celebrated the one millionth RANGER® unit rolling off the production line.

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