Innovations, Refinements, and the Brand New Enliven the PGA/GIS Shows
By Stephen Metzger, Senior Editorial Advisor, Industrial Utility Vehicle Magazine
The PGA Show and the Golf Industry Show, both held in Orlando this year, not 10 days apart, showcased a significant number of innovative products, refinements to standard models, and out-of-the-box new products. While both shows cover the gamut of golfing industry products, IUV magazine focuses for the most part on commercial and utility vehicles and the key components of such vehicles.
The continued advance of these vehicles is due largely to economy of operation, relative low initial cost, and capacity for adding refinements which are directed toward accomplishing specific, relatively narrowly-defined tasks. Whereas mass production is the hallmark of mainstream automobiles, low volume and diverse configuration is the key characteristic of utility and personal use vehicles. Generically speaking, the industry can be characterized as developing and producing small, task-oriented vehicles (STOVs).
Necessity Being the Mother of Invention…
With golf course closings virtually on a par with new openings, golf car manufacturers are faced with the reality of stagnation and perhaps even moderate decline in what has historically been their principal market. Thus E-Z-GO, Club Car, and Yamaha have all begun to push vigorously into utility and privately-owned (consumer) segments.
Yamaha’s The Drive, introduced at last year’s shows was, superficially, a highly refined golf car, but would serve as the basis of a new generation of vehicles in the utility and consumer-owned markets. Similarly, E-Z-GO’s RXV and Club Car’s Precedent, both introduced this year, serve the dual purpose to, on the one hand, maintain or advance market share in the hotly contested golf fleet market, and on the other, project a critical presence in consumer and light utility, commercial markets.
Dawn of the AC Era: RXV from E-Z-GO
E-Z-GO’s RXV (shown left) marks the first time a major golf car company has adopted an AC electric drive in their principal product line. The alternating current drive train, with a 48-volt motor, is more powerful and more efficient (up to 30% more efficient according to E-Z-GO) than a DC counterpart and has 10% more range. The AC motor was reportedly sourced from Iskra Avtoelectrika based in Slovenia.
To demonstrate the new features of the RXV, which are not confined to the AC engine alone, E-Z-GO erected a high-angled ramp and decline and put attendees in the driver’s seat to give the RXV a test run. The mini-obstacle course was designed to demonstrate, for example, an automotive-type A-arm front suspension for better handling and control. In addition, the ramp, aside from showing the additional power of the AC drive, demonstrated the fail-safe park braking system of the vehicle. Pitched at sharp angle on the ramp a driver can simply leave the vehicle, assured that the vehicle will not take off backwards, and that, indeed, the parking brake has been automatically activated. The triggering mechanism is simply the relief of pressure on the “gas” pedal.
On the decline side of the hill, moving the foot off of the gas pedal similarly stops forward progress. Light pressure on the brake pedal going downhill engages the engine as a braking system, bringing the vehicle to a slow creep forward, with the driver maintaining full control. The engine braking system is also the source of regenerative power for the vehicle’s batteries. While regenerative braking is not new, per se, the current system is more efficient than its predecessors.
Additional features are the energy transfer bumpers on front and back. The shock absorbing bumpers have effectively insulated the vehicle from collisions up to five miles per hour.
It also appears that the RXV drive and platform will be adapted to the E-Z-GO Freedom, which is an inch away from a full-fledged LSV.
Upgrades Keep Club Car Abreast of the Competition
Club Car introduced a new drive system for its Precedent golf car line and upgraded and adapted the IQ Plus drive train to more of its utility and turf maintenance vehicles. The new Precedent now comes in the i2 and i2L versions, the latter adding certain luxury features to the standard model.
The new Excel™ drive system enhances the Precedent’s regenerative braking system, now allowing feedback to the batteries down to “near zero” speeds. This improvement could reduce energy costs by as much as 20%, according to the company. In conjunction with a new charging system, the i2 also reduces charging time and water consumption and allows the vehicle to stay on the course longer.
The i2 and i2L models can be programmed for seven speed settings, ranging from 8 to 19 m.p.h., four acceleration settings and 5 pedal-up braking settings.
The i2L version, close cousin to the Signature Series, is aimed at the personal owner market as well as the upscale club, offering such niceties as a soft-grip steering wheel, custom logo, accent striping, premium windshield, and canopy storage net. In addition, this version adds larger, 10-inch rims.
Club Car Utility Line Puts Emphasis on Electric Power
Club Car’s IQ Plus drive system is closing the performance gap between gas and electric power in utility vehicles. The success of the IQ Plus system has led Club Car to make the system available in a wider range of its utility and Rough Terrain vehicle lines. The system is now featured in two electric models in the Rough Terrain series and nine electrics in the Carryall line. Most of the electrics in Club Car’s utility segment have eight 6-volt batteries, rather than the four, 12-volt configuration in the Precedent. This gives the utility vehicle better range (up to 80 miles, according to Club Car) and power.
Club Car is clearly pushing electric, as in the words of Mike Packer, Vice President of Worldwide Sales: “Up until a few years ago, electric vehicles had their limitations when it came to some of the tougher jobs around the course, but by better managing the power coming from and being restored to the batteries, our IQ Plus vehicle are just as capable as gas vehicles in this class.”
Yamaha Puts Emphasis on Versatile Transporters
Having been the first of the three major golf car companies to introduce major innovations in their fleet products (last year at the PGA Show), Yamaha emphasized its U-Max transporter line. The U-Max Medium Duty IV features four front facing seats with storage space to the rear and comes in a 48-volt electric model and an 11.2 h.p. gas model. The electric model comes with a 400 amp controller. Aside from the drive train the two vehicles are virtually identical, built on the same frame, having four-wheel mechanical drum brakes, and a 12-volt accessory outlet.
The electric model will also come with a diagnostic system called Genius System™, which allows service technicians to communicate with the vehicle via a wireless infra-red transmission, using a common PDA. This allows diagnostic information to be obtained from the vehicles electrical and battery system and allows vehicle performance to be adjusted and customized to fit the needs of any particular golf course.
Line-Up of Turf Maintenance Vehicles Show Myriad of Refinements
Turf maintenance vehicles are part of a continuum of small, task-oriented vehicles, which have greater power and more haulage capacity than their golf car-derived brethren. Examples of these vehicles include the Cushman® Turf Truckster® from Jacobsen, John Deere’s 2020A ProGator, and the Toro Workman MDX.
The Turf Truckster boasts the highest payload in its class at 2,850 lbs., according to Rob Arthur, Product Manager for Jacobsen. The vehicle comes in gas and diesel models, with speeds up to 26 m.p.h. The gas version has a five-speed gearbox and a two-speed rear axel—in combination, 10 forward speeds. (One Truckster version comes with a three-speed automatic transmission.)
The gas model features a 32 h.p. Suzuki electric fuel injection engine. The current diesel model has a 26 h.p. Perkins engine with a four-speed transmission. (Jacobsen is considering a move to a Kubota engine.) The vehicle’s chassis design puts the wheels at the front edge of the carriage with no overhang, thus giving the Truckster a superior turning radius.
John Deere builds several models in the turf maintenance segment, including the 2020A and 2030A ProGator™ at the high end of the performance/power scale to the gas and electric compact series, suitable for the consumer market. The 2020A is offered in both diesel and gas versions,
featuring liquid-cooled, three cylinder, four cycle Yanmar engines. The vehicle comes in two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions and has a five-speed synchromesh transmission. The vehicle’s payload is 2,650 lbs. with a 1,500-lb. towing capacity. The brakes are hydraulic drum, front and rear; the differential is now designed to avoid scuffing and abrasion stemming from uneven terrain. The list price is just over $18,000.
The mid-duty Gator™ TX features a Kawasaki 401 cc air-cooled, four-cylinder gas engine with hydraulic front and rear hydraulic disc brakes. The vehicle has 600 lb. capacity in the cargo box and 1,000 lb. towing capacity. The TX also features an all wheel suspension and a rear traction assist that locks the rear drive wheels, when needed. List price is just under $7,000.
The Gator™ TE is the electric version of this series, a 48-volt, separately-excited controller system with 8 Trojan T-105 or T-145 batteries providing the power source. The 11.2 cubic foot cargo box can haul up to 500 lbs. The vehicle also has the usual advantage of quiet, electric power operation, a significant aspect of golf course and other institutional applications. List price is $8,500.
The new Toro MD/MDX/ME series of medium duty utility vehicles is geared to complement the company’s industry leading line of mowers and turf maintenance products. The gas-driven MDX has a payload of 1,600 lbs., while the MD’s is 1,250 lbs. The electric version of the line, the MDE, has a comparable capacity of 1,200 lbs. The MDE uses a 48-volt, 500 amp drive system The entire line features new esthetics with a revamped, double walled, roto-molded cowl and additional leg room, an important factor in operator comfort.
In addition, these Toro vehicles are outfitted with an upgraded suspension, featuring a new, single A-arm design with coil over spring shock absorbers and four-wheel hydraulic brakes. In addition, the line includes the company’s patented “Active In-Frame” torsional pivot point for enhanced stability and traction. This feature basically “unhinges” the front and rear axels so that the wheels can stay on the ground by conforming better to uneven terrain.
Toro also highlighted their line of compact utility loaders, a stand-on operational platform designed, via a wide array of attachments (35 in all), to take on numerous applications from posthole digging, installing irrigation systems, and material hauling and handling. The Dingo® line comes in narrow and wide versions and wheeled and tracked models. The Dingo® TX 525 Wide Track comes with a 25 h.p. Kubota diesel engine, which the company believes delivers additional power, extra torque, and increased hydraulic flow to ground-engaging attachments.
While there did not appear to be any significant breakthroughs in power source or capabilities, the turf maintenance utility vehicles on exhibit focused on greater versatility and greater ease of operation—continuing a long history of consistent improvement in performance and in operational refinements.
Notable in the category of refinements is the greater emphasis on creature comforts. Virtually all the utility vehicles at the PGA and GIS have as an option a fully-enclosed driver’s compartment. At the top of the list for creature comforts is the Kubota RTV 1100. Its fully-enclosed cab contains an air conditioner, heater and defroster with controls mounted in a stylish automotive-type dashboard. The RTV 1100 now comes in a Realtree™ camouflage version. The vehicle debuted in last year’s GIS and reportedly has experienced excellent market response. The success of the RTV 1100 has led to the camouflage version and to a Special Edition of the model, featuring a metallic silver finish.
Rise of the LSV…and the Near-LSV
Symptomatic of the stagnating market relating to golf, which many of the makes and models of utility vehicles—such as those detailed above—have traditionally been oriented, is the shift toward multipurpose vehicles capable of drawing upon other market segments. This was evident at the PGA Show and GIS with low-level, barely-on–the-radar-screen references to the LSV-capable E-Z-GO Freedom and the potential Club Car entry built on the Precedent. Far more visible, however, was the Tomberlin lineup, which is unabashedly oriented to the personal transportation market, as well as FairPlay’s Legacy and ZX 5.5.
The small vehicle industry is clearly in a transition mode with the major manufacturers reluctant to move directly into the LSV category both because of liability fears and because of what are clearly becoming the confining bans of Rule 500 of the National Highway Safety and Transportation Agency (NHTSA). LSV manufacturers themselves, such as Chrysler’s Global Electric Motors (GEM), on the other hand, position themselves differently than companies that have traditionally been associated with the game of golf and the golf course market. A few companies, such as Tomberlin of Augusta, GA, are moving aggressively and affirmatively through golf course-oriented marketing channels, into the LSV market.
Tomberlin’s Aggressive Move to Capture a Major Share of LSV Market
The Tomberlin Group is comprised of four divisions, including a consulting arm, that cover a wide range of personal transportation and sports vehicles. The Tomberlin Automotive Group (TAG) is specifically charged with developing a U.S. market for its low speed vehicles. TAG currently has two production models, the Emerge E-2 and the Emerge E-4. Both are 48 volt electric vehicles, featuring an Advanced Motors & Drive DC motor, a heavy duty controller, and powered by a six, eight volt battery pack from U.S. Battery. The vehicles also feature an on-board, Delta-Q charger.
Conforming to the safety features for street level LSV certification, the E-2 and E-4 have four-wheel braking, three-point seat belts, head- and tail lights, and turn signals. Both come with regenerative braking and 10-inch aluminum wheels. The sport version of the Emerge features a 400 Amp controller and a 72-volt drive system, giving it additional power and range.
According to Dewey Holland, President of the Tomberlin Automotive Group, “Sales are double that of our original projections.” TAG currently has about 270 dealers nationwide and has put considerable resources into building a dealer network. The success of the Emerge line is likely to be expanded upon with the introduction of the Group’s much heralded ANVIL™. The ANVIL™, which now exists as a prototype only, is a considerably larger LSV than its Emerge cousins. It is 72-inches wide and as a two-seater is 103-inches long. The vehicle is fully LSV-qualified with the required safety features, including headlights, taillights and turn signals, plus four-wheel disc brakes and a 72-volt electric power system. Plans are for a formal market introduction in late 2008.
Perhaps the most intriguing Tomberlin innovation was a hybrid vehicle consisting of a small, relatively quiet Honda generator, mounted in the rear storage space of an E-4, and plugged into the on-board charger. Because it can be recharged while in use, the vehicle, according to Holland, clocked over 180 miles before needing a standard refueling. The Emerge Hybrid was used extensively at the PGA Show to shuttle attendees from local hotels to the Orange County Convention Center (in Orlando).
Tomberlin officials were quick to say that the generator feature was not part of factory equipment, but could be purchased and installed at dealerships, if they, the dealers,
chose to do so. The conversion could be accomplished in less than an hour and for less than $1,000, according to the company’s press release.
Another potential LSV contender is the Fairplay ZX 5.5. While still very much a golf car, the ZX 5.5 is equipped for personal use off the golf course as well. The vehicle comes with a front and back lighting package, turn signals, and a burlwood dash and steering wheel component. Fairplay also highlighted its 2009 Legacy, a similarly equipped golf-personal use car. A Chinese-built vehicle, the Fairplay lineup is marketed in the United States by an American management team based in Grand Junction, CO and headed by Larry Johnson, President, and Keith Andrews, VP Marketing and Sales. Fairplay vehicles, which incorporate many well-known branded U.S. parts, is but one example of the growing international flavor of the golf car/utility vehicle industry.
The Global Supply and Market Network
Even a cursory pilgrimage along the aisles of the PGA Show and the GIS, quickly reveals the growing global nature of the golf car/LSV/utility vehicle industry. The Chinese contingent of golf cars and utility vehicles continues to grow and to show refinement with each passing show. Present at either the PGA Show or GIS were the following:
The Lvtong Golf Car, manufactured by the Dongguan Lvtong Golf and Sightseeing Car Company, Ltd. The company’s manufacturing base is in Dongguan City, Guandong Province, China and is a joint venture between German and Chinese interests. Lvtong vehicles incorporate a wide range of internationally sourced components, including Trojan batteries, ADC electric motors, a Zapi controller, and Graziano transaxles. Lvtong golf cars are marketed in the United States by Goodway Golf Car, Inc. of City of Industry, CA.
Repow Corporation, located in Jinhua City, Zheijing Province, China makes a range of electric vehicles from scooters to golf cars, to personnel transporters. The company claims to have a 55% share of the electric vehicle exports from China.
Tung Keng Enterprise Co., Ltd. features Green Olympic golf cars and transporters. The company, located in Tan-Tzu Hsiang, Taichung, Taiwan, use PG Drives Technology controllers from the United Kingdom, an off-board charger from Lester Electric, Advanced Motors & Drives DC electric motors, and Trojan batteries. The company, while currently using DC motors is contemplating a move to AC power. Company representative, Michael Wei concedes the golf fleet market is very difficult to crack, so that Tung Keng is positioning itself as an OEM supplier of high quality parts and components, with the capability of supplying fully or partially assembled vehicles.
Shenzhen Marshell Green Power Co., Ltd. is another Chinese manufacturer of golf cars and various sized electric transporters. The company, located in Nanshan, Senzhen, China, is assessing its opportunities in the U.S. market and developing strategies for effective entry and expansion.
Fairplay, already mentioned, continues to refine its lineup of golf cars and utility vehicles for the U.S. market. The heavier duty HOSS utility vehicle features a 6.5 h.p. DC motor, 400 Amp controller, high frequency battery charger, all from AMD. The company has well over certified 120 dealers.
Garia—Imported Elegance from Denmark
Not all foreign makes come from China. Present at the GIS was the very stylish European import from Denmark, the Garia. Based in Baldersbuen, Denmark, the company’s 48 volt Garia G2 features elegant European styling and exquisite detail from the lighting package to the steering column, to the dash. While fairly expensive, it is purposely aimed at the upper tier market segment. It could be characterized as the “Mercedes Benz of golf cars”. On the practical side the vehicle is engineered with top-to-bottom high quality. The aluminum space frame chassis passes all strength tests and is designed to provide greater leg room than other golf cars. The top frame support for the roof is fully welded and integrated into the main chassis.
The G2 suspension is an unequal length double A-arm design, gleaned from the world’s most advanced race cars. The G2 features hydraulic brakes—disc brakes at the front, drum brakes in the rear, and the vehicle drive train incorporates a Curtis 1266 controller.
Under the guidance of President and CEO Michael Cholewa, Garia is investigating its opportunities in the U.S. market.
Full-Size Powerful Electric Utility Trucks and Vans
Another foreign entry in a different class is the lineup from Vantage International. The company, based in Yorba Linda, CA, sources truck bodies from Korea and outfits them with both gas and electric drive systems. The vehicles involved in the Vantage line are work trucks, cargo vans, and passenger vans. They have fully-enclosed, automotive appointed standard and extended cabs. The gas versions feature a 995 cc, water cooled, OHC four-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection.
The battery-powered, electric versions are 72 volt systems and use a brushless, three-phase induction AC motor from High Performance AC Motors. All models use a 550 Amp Curtis controller and an on-board Delta-Q charger. The electric versions are rated at a top speed of 25 m.p.h., but are capable of speeds in the 40-45 m.p.h. range. Driving range exceed 50 miles. 4 X 4 models in both gas and electric versions are in the stage of design and development.
Vantage is focusing on green-conscious target markets, such as universities and colleges, and was recently the winner in a competitive demonstration at the Penn State campus. Coming out of this competition, Vantage was able to secure a 16 unit order. The Vantage trucks and vans, ranging from $9,000-$14,000 are geared to be competitive with both the John Deere Gator™ product and various full-sized counterparts—offering advantages in operational comfort and performance with regard to the former and fuel economy and price with regard to the latter.
With 70 dealers throughout the United States, Vantage is looking to extend its dealer network to the nationwide level at around 100.
Global Networks Result in a Diversity of Sourcing Options
The examples of global networking are many: B & B Preferred sources drive trains and interiors from its joint venture factory in India and fits specialty molded bodies for golf and personal transportation applications from the United States. Tomberlin which sources its distinctive molded bodies and chassis from China, outfits its Emerge line with 50% parts and components from the United States. Vantage, just mentioned, sources its AC drive system from the United States. Kinetek, a division of Imperial Electric, designs and supplies electronic control systems from Ohio, AC and DC electric motors from New York, and has manufacturing facilities in China. (Advanced Motors and Drives of Syracuse, New York, a Kinetek company, has successfully placed its product in a number of end-use vehicles, including Tomberlin’s Emerge, Fairplay golf cars and personal use vehicles, Tung Keng’s Green Olympic vehicles.)
PGA Show and GIS Becoming Showplaces for Innovation and Global Diversity
Overall, the PGA Show and the GIS have become showplaces for innovation in utility vehicles, golf cars, and an emerging class of personal use vehicles. Consistent improvement in basic vehicular platforms and drive systems, the diversity of customized applications, and the progressive attention to environmental concerns have positioned these traditional, golf industry-oriented trade shows into a forum for cutting edge developments that are likely to shape the transportation/mobile work vehicle products of the future—and at the same time give impetus to a significant and continual broadening of the market base.
In addition, the exhibitors have become far more geographically diverse both with respect to end products and components. This development, with U.S.-based companies highly competitive in product design and cost and possessing established distribution and sales channels in the world’s largest market, bodes well for the future of the small, task-oriented vehicle industry in a world where the outlook for the larger mainstream, fuel inefficient cars and trucks is, if nothing else, problematic.
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