The world of electrification is rapidly growing, and with many automakers already entering alliances and partnerships to cement their place in the automotive kingdom, it was only a matter of time before this trend made its way to worlds outside traditional automobiles with Polaris and Zero Motorcycles revealing that they have teamed up in a partnership to further expand there EV initiatives.
But before you think that all electric Slingshots and Indians are in the pipeline, you better dial your expectations slightly. Instead of focusing on on-road offerings, this alliance aims to beef up off-road offerings like snowmobiles. Zero will provide the technology, hardware, and software while Polaris will shoulder the bulk of the development and manufacturing work during this 10 year partnership.
Polaris is also no stranger to electric offerings, with the firm currently fielding the Ranger EV off-roader, as well as the Victory Impulse TT. Along with these models, Polaris also owns GEM and Tylor-Dunn but those two firms make small EV powered runabouts that are primarily targeted towards commercial and industrial clients, especially those that need vehicles to scoot around factories.
The partnership could also be viewed as a broader part of Polaris’s electrification strategy which is dubbed “rEVd up.” A core aspect of this plan is that Polaris will seek to “offer customers an electric vehicle option within each of its core vehicle segments by 2025.” Early adopters won’t have a long wait either, with the first Zero infused offering being released by the end of 2021. It’s unknown what the new model will exactly be, but Polaris could perhaps play it safe, and use an existing nameplate to introduce the technology to customers before embarking on more radical projects. Some of those could include an EV Slingshot down the line. While EV powered three wheelers are few and far between, an EV version of the Slingshot would give Polaris a competitor against Vanderhall and its Edison EV.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.