CFMoto Might Have an All-Electric UTV Coming. Here Are The Plans for It

A few weeks ago, I was in the Driftless area of Southwestern Wisconsin, riding Can-Am's first all-electric ATV. A glorious place to be, I know. But my time behind its bars made me think one thought: This would change whitetail deer hunting forever if this drivetrain were in a side-by-side. 

Can-Am has remained mum on whether it intends to swap the Outlander EV's batteries and motor into a Defender, though it's hard not to see the brand going from EV motorcycle, to EV ATV, to EV PWC patents, to EV UTV.

And its main competitor, Polaris, already has an EV Ranger. But the brand doesn't market it all that well (in my opinion), and not toward those hunters who'd want a silent, easy ride to their tree stand come October and November. It's sort of at the back of the pack. 

CFMoto, however, may just be planning a coup. Not only has the Chinese powersports brand expanded its footprint in the US market to staggering degrees in recent years, but according to this U.S. patent unearthed by RideApart, it could be looking to upstage Polaris and beat Can-Am to market with its all-electric UTV, the U6 EV. 

Whitetail hunters, rejoice!

CFMoto U6 EV UTV

Photo by: CFMoto

CFMoto U6 EV UTV

Photo by: US Patent and Trademark Office

CFMoto U6 EV UTV

Photo by: US Patent and Trademark Office

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The patent, titled Electric All-Terrain Vehicle, clearly showcases one of the brand's more utility-based side-by-sides—i.e., the U6 EV that the brand showcased a few months prior—with a single bench seat, open-cab design, and a rear truck-bed. It's agrarian, to say the least. However, instead of a turbocharged or diesel engine, as is common in these UTVs throughout the industry, what you have are batteries and electric motors for propulsion. 

According to the drawings and descriptions in the patent, what you get is a battery pack underneath the bed, but more midship than rear. It doesn't describe what sort of pack is involved, however, so we don't know kW or potential ranges. According to CFMoto, however, the current U6 EV that's available elsewhere in the world has a 15.3kW Lithium Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt battery capable of about 60 miles of range, as well as a towing capacity of 1,600 pounds. 

What we can see is that in one patent drawing, it seemingly indicates that this specific all-electric UTV would have all-wheel-steering, as in both the front and rear wheels can help turn the side-by-side. That, however, isn't something that's already been released in the markets where the U6 EV is available.

CFMoto U6 EV UTV

Photo by: US Patent and Trademark Office

There also appears to be an expandable workbench that hides beneath the seats, but is accessible through a panel on the outside of the vehicle, and it reminds me of Rivian's camp kitchen accessory. That is offered in the U6 EV elsewhere, and it's exactly like Rivian's setup. 

But here's the thing. While CFMoto said it will be available globally, it hasn't yet dropped the U6 EV on the US market yet. However, the presence of this patent in the US Patent Office seems to indicate that we might be getting closer to being able to purchase one of these machines real soon. Hopefully, just in time for deer season, as getting to and from your cold stand in the wee hours of the morning would be greatly made better if you didn't have to schlep through the cold to do so.

It'd also make hauling out your harvest all that easier, too. 

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