Is gasoline or electric power right for your utility vehicle?

Utility Vehicle | Buyer's Guide

Another central decision you'll have to make is whether you want an electric or gas-powered utility vehicle. Here are some of the points to keep in mind.

Electric utility vehicles
Electric utility vehicles use a bank of standard lead-acid batteries to run an electric motor. They're designed to be used all day then recharged using a standard power outlet. Some brands support “opportunity charging,” which allows you to simply plug in the vehicle whenever you're not using it. For two- or three-shift operations, though, you'll need a model that allows for an easy change of batteries when one set runs out.

A distinct advantage of electric vehicles is their cost to operate: it can be five or 10 times more expensive to operate a gas model. Especially for businesses buying several vehicles, this alone can be enough reason to choose electric. Another deciding factor for many businesses is indoor use: emission-free electric utility vehicles can be used indoors, gasoline engines can't.

Gasoline utility vehicles
Gas-powered utility vehicles are no longer as popular as electric models, but for some applications they are still the top choice. With gasoline-powered vehicles you can always carry an extra can or two of gas, giving you much greater range. For farming and hunting use, this is a big advantage.

They're also a good choice for sustained use: spending a weekend away from electric power, or driving quite a bit at night with the lights on. Gasoline engines also provide more power for towing or carrying heavy loads.

Newer 4-cycle engines run cleaner and quieter than older 2-cycle engines that burn an oil and gas mixture, but they're still dirty and loud compared to zero-emission electric motors.

There are a small number of diesel utility vehicles, as well. Diesel is often cheaper than regular gas, and also provides more torque, which is useful for heavy-duty hauling and towing. In most cases, they're fairly comparable to gasoline models in performance and price.

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