Each year as part of PPM ’ s dealer survey , retailers are asked to segment their sales into 10 different categories within each of the three applications - Consumer , Commercial and Government .

For instance , Consumer uses include Recreational Use , Farmer / Rancher , Estate Use , Residential / Homestead Use and Hunters ; Commercial uses include Industrial , Golf , Other Turf and Commercial Non-Turf ; and Government uses represent more than 60 different Federal agencies in the U . S .

Within the Consumer application , survey results show Recreational Use was the largest category in 2023 , accounting for 30.5 % of the total market . This was followed by Farmer / Rancher ( 28.5 % market share ), Estate Use ( 11 %), Residential / Homestead Use ( 9 %), and Hunters ( 8.5 %).

Within the Commercial application , results show Industrial use accounted for 5.5 % of the total market , followed by Other Turf ( 3.5 %), Golf ( 1.5 %), and Commercial Non-Turf ( 1.0 %).

NON-TRADITIONAL BRANDS When you think of the UTV market , you ’ re likely to visualize models supplied by bigname brands and sold by a brand-dedicated network of brick-and-mortar dealers .

However , there is another layer to the market that ’ s often overlooked - the nontraditional-brand powersports vehicle market . These include units mostly sourced from China and sold not only by brick and motor dealers , but also via big-box outlets , the online marketplace , and independent retailers .

PPM finds sales are booming for these second-tier brands . While COVID-associated supply-chain issues haunted numerous established

brands , manufacturing and shipping woes didn ’ t seem to impact many of the offshore brands that ultimately had them experience a surge in sales as container after container filled with vehicles continued to arrive unabated at U . S . ports .

In 2021 , for the first time , the top 10 purveyors of UTVs - brands like Polaris , Can-Am , Kawasaki and Honda - were joined by lesserknown names , including Hisun and CFMoto . Also experiencing remarkable growth were importers / distributors like BMS Motorsports , Coleman , and Massimo .

For 2023 , CFMoto and Hisun again cracked the top 10 brands . While CFMoto has focused on growing a traditional dealer network , PPM believes growth in a few of these brands correlates with their availability at big-box retailers , which have become a major outlet for lower-cost vehicles that couldn ’ t be found at traditional multi-line powersports dealerships .

MASS RETAILERS An often-overlooked segment of the market is the big-box retailers , with the top three being Lowe ’ s , Home Depot , and Tractor Supply . Other retailers such as Rural King , Atwoods , Walmart , Cabela ’ s , and Tracker Off-Road ( Bass Pro ) are also notable suppliers .

According to PPM analysis , UTV retail sales through big-box retail locations have grown substantially , from 5,000 to 10,000 units ten years ago , to 20,000 units in 2020 . Sales peaked during 2021 and 2022 at just over 40,000 units . In 2023 , sales dropped significantly as the post Covid bubble deflated consumer purchase activity . Home Depot retails multiple models sourced from Hisun ; Lowe ’ s retails product from Hisun , Kandi

As a relatively new player in the SxS scene , Segway Powersports could be on the verge of cracking the Top 10 next year .

America , and Massimo ; Tractor Supply stocks multiple models of BMS Motorsports , Bighorn Powersports , and Massimo ; and Rural King offers product from Hisun and Kandi America .

NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Another segment that benefited when major OEMs became unable to supply UTVs to hungry

consumers is the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle ( NEV ) market . NEVs include streetlegal electric golf cars , PTVs , and LSVs . Personal Transport Vehicles ( PTVs ) are limited to 20 mph and Low-Speed Vehicles ( LSVs ) are limited to 25 mph .

Demand for UTVs was high during the height of the Covid pandemic . PPM in their research reported that some consumers

See UTV Market , Page 19