HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Polaris Inc. today announced a milestone for its Alabama manufacturing facility — the first fully electric RANGER XP Kinetic off-road vehicles are headed out of the Huntsville factory to dealerships for customer pickup.
Production of the electric vehicles began earlier this month at the 900,000-square-foot facility, according to Polaris, the Minneapolis-based producer of off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, and side-by-side vehicles.
“Since announcing our electrification efforts and partnership with Zero Motorcycles, it has been major milestone moments like today’s announcement that have motivated and driven our team to engineer and deliver category-redefining powersports vehicles,” said Steve Menneto, president of Off Road at Polaris.
“The RANGER XP Kinetic demonstrates the game-changing performance advantages that an electric powertrain can provide, and we look forward to getting these vehicles into the hands of our dealers and consumers across the country,” he added.
Polaris plans to take additional orders on the RANGER XP Kinetic this summer.
“We knew there would be interest for a performance-driven electric RANGER but selling out two hours after opening our initial order window for the XP Kinetic exceeded our expectations,” said Josh Hermes, vice president, Electric Vehicles for Off Road at Polaris.
Polaris opened the Alabama manufacturing facility in 2016.
“From automobiles and airplanes to ships and rockets, Alabamians build all kinds of complex vehicles,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Now we can add all-electric off-road vehicles to the list of world-class products made in Alabama.”
Made in Alabama: Polaris Announces First Shipment of All Electric RANGER XP Kinetic https://t.co/TNmvwnG2r4 @MadeinAL @PolarisORV @GovernorKayIvey @huntsvillealcoc
— Greg Canfield (@gregcanfield) April 25, 2023
Both Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai have begun producing all-electric vehicles at their Alabama facilities, but they’re not alone. Autocar, a maker of specialized trucks, last year delivered its first EV built in Alabama, a battery-electric terminal tractor, and New Flyer of America makes zero-emission buses in Anniston.
