27-02-2025
Kawasaki Enters the Electric UTV Market with This Neighborhood Cruiser
Electric power is now showing up in the UTV/SxS market, with segment-leader Polaris having introduced a new model two years ago, followed by several other makers. Now Kawasaki is into it with its new NAV 4e.
Called a Neighborhood Activity Vehicle, the NAV 4e seats four and has a range of up to 40 miles, Kawasaki claims.
Prices start at $12,999. On sale this month.
The UTV industry may be going through what the car industry has already done: figuring out exactly how big the market is for electric vehicles.
You know what a UTV is: Utility Terrain Vehicles, or Side-by-Sides, SXS. They are small, light, and cheap, and they can be a lot of fun. A UTV just won the King of the Hammers off-road race, using its light weight and a highly modified suspension to clear rocks that tripped up competitors.
SxSs are traditionally internal combustion vehicles, using small-displacement gasoline engines to get around. But recently, UTV makers have been slowly dipping their tire treads in the electric-vehicle market.
Two years ago the segment-leader Polaris came out with its Ranger Pro XD Full-Size Kinetic pickup, which its consumer website lists at $30,394. Tractor Supply Co. will sell you something called a Bighorn Wildcat E5 for $7,499. Camping World has something called a Kandi Kruiser on its website that starts at $7,999. Even John Deere has an electric version of its popular Gator UTV, the GS Electric Utility Vehicle.
Now, Kawasaki, maker of the Mule, the Ridge, and the Teryx SxSs, enters the fray with a new all-electric lineup called the NAV 4e.
'Kawasaki's first-ever electric four-wheeled vehicle is more than just a way to cruise the neighborhood or run errands, it is a new way of life,' Big Green says. 'You will no longer be going to your neighbors, or the local pickleball court, you will NAV to your desired location.'
NAV seems to stand for Neighborhood Activity Vehicle, and it's not unlike those GEM NEVs we saw 20-something years ago, wherein NEV stood for Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. Kawasaki says the NAV is a Personal Transportation Vehicle, or PTV (more acronyms!) and not a golf cart.
It's powered by an AC motor mounted in the back that produces a maximum of 10.7 kW of power (14.3 hp), good for a top speed of 19 mph. It sports a single reduction gear, with the motor and transmission integrated into the rear axle.
There are two battery packs: on the LE and Limited models, there is a pair of 3.2-kWh lithium-ion batteries that offer a range of up to 40 miles and are 'ideal for carrying passengers on longer trips;' the standard NAV 4e model has a set of six lead-acid batteries with a range of up to 17.5 miles. Regenerative braking helps extend those range figures.
The NAV 4e features four forward-facing seats, the back two of which can fold flat for cargo.
It's not just a crude conveyance, either. The top-of-the-line NAV 4e Limited features a large 7-inch full-color TFT LCD screen compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The Limited is also equipped with four 6.5-inch roof-mounted speakers that can blast The Stars and Stripes Forever when you enter the neighborhood 4th of July Parade. There's even a subwoofer available as a Kawasaki Genuine Accessory that fits in the under-hood storage compartment to really let everyone know you're coming.
Prices range from $12,999 to $19,999 and they'll be available this month.
Would you buy one of these? Let us know below.
