CFMOTO Electric ATV and Two-Seat UTV Revealed in Patent Filings

CFMOTO's impending electric all-terrain vehicle is of particular interest as this is a relatively untapped market. The patent drawings show what appears to be a battery-and-motor setup located squarely where a combustion engine would traditionally sit. While the specifics included on the patent filings don't go so much into power and/or weight figures as they do discussing the proportion of the track width to the wheelbase, and pricing is a long way off, this shows promise on the front of new propulsion tech making its way into machines usually regulated to good 'ol gasoline.

Benefits of an electric powertrain are pretty well known entities by now. Torque is immediate, power curves are linear (or flat), throttle modulation is infinite, and in the case of an off-road machine, you get to explore nature much more quietly. We don't need to go into the debate over whether gas or electric propulsion is better (or worse) for the environment, but the prospect of no on-trail pollution is a good thing.

The machines in question do appear to be four-wheel-drive and likely of the utility nature, which is no surprise given the segment's popularity. What might be interesting is the use of a motor placed at the front and rear instead of traditional differentials, which could in turn make for endless tuneability with the traction.

CFMOTO isn't stopping with ATVs, instead also seemingly preparing an array of electric side-by-sides. Further patents show not only a four-seat but also a two-seat electric UTV being worked on by CFMOTO. Reading between the lines makes it seem as if this initial run of machines will be geared toward children and youth riders. However, as we've seen from Polaris and its Ranger XP Kinetic, there's certainly a market for (or at least interest in) fully electric UTVs.

We don't expect much more in the way of innovation here other than swapping out gas for electric, but this does bode well for what can come in the future from CFMOTO if the brand continues to innovate like this.