Off-Roading in a Polaris XP Kinetic With the Diesel Brothers

Is petroleum consumption the key to enjoying a 4×4? Some people say that it is, and that electric powertrains will be the death of offroad powersports—but does that make sense? Sure, these EVs aren’t right for every single situation (yet) but arguably nor is an internal combustion engine. Testing with rigs like the Polaris XP Kinetic have proven new, useful usage scenarios. For instance, you’re able to run the machine in a barn or greenhouse without all hands choking on exhaust fumes.

Enter the Diesel Brothers, a pair of gearheads known for building some outrageous machines which are definitely powered by internal combustion. In fact, if one could define the exact opposite of electrification, it would probably be a picture of one or two of the trucks these guys have assembled. Which, of course, makes it all the more interesting when Polaris tosses them the keys to a pre-production Ranger XP Kinetic. Their mission? A recovery run, hauling a ‘60s-era bulldozer out of the woods.

The Diesel Brothers are surprised by the Kinetic’s power and its ability to throw you back in the seat. Given their gearhead background, they naturally speculate on the maintenance – or lack thereof compared to an ICE side-by-side – that will be required down the road. They also have thoughts about packaging, accessibility, and driving range. Speaking to the latter, they admitted to initially being worried about battery range. However, it didn’t take long to get into a rhythm of using the machine as they would any other rig and being confident about their ability to get home at the end of the day.

And as for the bulldozer – well, watch the video above and find out.

EVs in the real world

This is the second episode about placing the Ranger XP Kinetic into unexpected situations. The first instalment had personalities Pat and Nicole Reeve taking the machine on one of their turkey hunts. It’s a push on real-world usage demonstrations from the manufacturer. Polaris is keen to showcase the new XP Kinetic, an all-electric rig good for 110 horsepower and a towering 140 lb.-ft of torque with a starting price right around $30,000. For now, the company says they’re completely sold out of the things for this model year.