28 • July 2023 • Powersports Business

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However , with Volcon recently showing what a full-throated side-by-side can do on battery power , electric off-road vehicles may be better suited to take advantage of the technology in the near term . These consumers typically ride less than 25 miles a day when they are hunting or fishing . And even for recreational use , they are not riding them far and can keep the battery topped off in between runs .

We collected survey responses from dealers around the nation to learn what their outlook on the future of electric may be . Eleven percent of the respondents do not currently sell electric products but would like to . Twenty percent of dealers responded that they do not sell electric and will not any time soon . Nine percent of dealers responded that they do carry electric products , and they would like to expand their offering in this segment . And 61 percent of dealers answered that they carry electric products , but they are not selling them fast enough .

After speaking to some dealers in more detail , less than half share that they are hesitant to sell electric products . One dealer responded that electric units in the powersports industry are a joke . But others , located from Utah to Missouri to Indiana to North Carolina , were excited and optimistic .

“ We ’ re looking forward to selling [ electric vehicles ]”, says Chad Faerber , general manager of Moto Europa in St . Louis , Missouri . “ We ’ re starting with e-bikes , we just picked up e-bikes through Ducati . We sell Piaggio scooters as well , and they have an electric Vespa and an electric Piaggio that sell pretty well . And KTM makes a mini dirt bike which is all electric , and we sell out every year we get those . We ’ re looking forward to it .”

Faerber and other dealers explain that their sales teams usually must introduce electric products to customers before they see an interest in the product . Customers rarely walk into dealer showrooms looking for an electric unit . According to our survey , 85 percent of dealers answered that 0−5 customers ask about the dealership ’ s electric selection a month . Nine percent answered 5−10 times a month , and seven percent answered 10 or more times a month . It seems early adopters are few and far between .

Over half of our survey respondents believe that the availability of electric products outweighs consumer demand . The remaining 42 percent were split , answering that the availability of electric products should increase , or that the availability of electric product matches consumer demand .

“ I think our infrastructure needs to catch up to the vehicles out there right now ,” says Adam Ibrahim , sales manager of Beach House- Harley-Davidson of Shallotte , North Carolina .

Beach House Harley-Davidson carries the LiveWire electric motorcycle , and Ibrahim explains that when customers ask about the bike , he ’ s honest about the experience it offers . “ I ’ m upfront with them ,” he says . “ If you ’ re a road warrior and want to do 300−400 miles in a day , you could do that , it ’ s just going to take you longer . You ’ ll have to plan your route out . If the app says there ’ s

The well-known motorcycle company and early adopter of electric , Zero Motorcycles , was founded in 2006 by Neal Saiki . Photo courtesy of Zero Motorcycles

no charging that way , you can ’ t go that way .”

He says the motorcycle is a great machine , it just requires more planning for long rides . And he understands that Harley riders don ’ t typically want to worry about planning where to stop and charge their bike on a long trip , so the motorcycle is perfect for running around town .

Ibrahim explains that acceptance of electric products depends partially on the values of each city or state . While some demographics embrace electric because it is a more environmentally friendly option , others value

Polaris partnered with Zero Motorcycles in 2020 to develop an electric powertrain for the RANGER XP Kinetic side-by-side . The first fully electric units were shipped out in April . Photo courtesy of Polaris