2010 Barefoot Motors EUV M-1 ATV Review

The coolest thing a company can do these days is go green. Governments love it, consumers love it; boardrooms across the world are packed with marketing departments who are brainstorming ways to capitalize on the eco-craze. Motorsports are no different, and even in the world of off-road motorcycles and ATVs, green is cool. One company in Ashland, Oregon isn’t just trying to change their image, they’re leading the industry into the future of electronic all-terrain vehicles. After working with prototypes based on existing gas-powered quads, Barefoot Motors scratched the process and went to the drawing board to create their own zero-emission four-wheeler from the ground up – the Earth Utility Vehicle (EUV) M-1.

Founder and CEO Max Scheder-Bieschin looked at the world of industry around him and saw electric technology being used effectively and with great purpose. If forklifts, golf carts, automobiles, locomotives and mining equipment can all harness the power of electricity, to him there was no reason why it couldn’t translate into the off-road ATV market. In the process of researching and compiling all the parts for their creation, Barefoot put high importance on keeping the Model 1 (M-1) a true American-made vehicle. As a result, 96 percent of the components from North American suppliers, and 47% are from companies in Oregon.

“It’s about being local and supporting the community,” said Scheder-Bieschin. “We want to help support the farmers. They have no green transportation alternatives and we want to help our business community here in Oregon.”

The M-1 has only been in production since the beginning of June. The immediate goal is to crank out and sell 10 units per month, and ultimately Barefoot thinks that reaching 100 per month is realistic for the Ashland facility.

Farming is the first and foremost application for the massive EUV. There are other suitable applications, more and more as time passes, but make no mistake, there’s nothing sporty about this machine. Though electric motors are capable of making full-power immediately off idle, the M-1 is intentionally tuned for slower acceleration. Regardless of how the owner wants to adjust the delivery, the vehicle was never designed for the sporting aspect. It’s a workhorse, and as such we found that the design and functionality are right in the ballpark considering the current status of green technology.

The heartbeat of the M-1 is the 24-cell Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, which account for 200 pounds as a complete unit. Linked sequentially, the arrangement is known as an eight-kilowatt pack producing 80 volts/100 amperes. Manufactured in China, the cells are guaranteed for 1000 cycles from full discharge. Simply plug in a standard three-prong plug to any 110V outlet and you’re in business (seven hours for full charge). The female-end receptor is located at the rear of the machine below the utility rack and right next to a 12V accessory outlet. Designed to power equipment like agricultural sprayers, the accessory plug is managed by a toggle switch located where a traditional gas cap would be; allowing the rider to start and stop the equipment without dismounting.

A component called the “shunt” acts as a fuel gauge by monitoring the electrical flow out of the battery pack. If a battery ever exceeds its 1000 cycle lifespan it can be returned to Barefoot for proper disposal and recycling. A Battery Management System (BMS) monitors the cells during charge and discharge to prevent them from suffering heat damage. According to Lead Engineer Dave Mounce, if this setup were powering a small electric car it would travel freeway speeds for roughly 50-60 miles.

Okay, so we’ve got the juice, but pure energy won’t turn those wheels on its own. Golf cart companies have been all over this stuff for years, which is why Mounce went directly to them and called up D&D Motor Systems when looking to source a suitable motor. Series motors rely on wound wire rather than permanent magnets which allow the motor to be reversed without changing current. Reversing the motor literally changes the direction of the vehicle. A simple switch on the center of the handlebars adjusts whether the M-1 moves forward or backward. It’s similar to a car starter or the Warn winch we installed on our Honda Rincon Project ATV.

Just like their gas-powered counterparts, there’s a big difference between peak power and the power actually used. In the electrical world, these are classified as peak rating and continuous rating. The rear motor is good for a claimed 51 lb-ft and 22.3 HP peak while the smaller forward motor ponies up just over 14 lb-ft and 8.5 HP. Because it is connected directly, the rear D&D motor doesn't lose power via drag through a transmission or drive system. The front motor does use a chain drive to connect to the differential which causes some inefficiency. One of the few foreign contributors, PG Drives controllers for the motors which allow for individual tuning based on 50 different parameters.

Top speed is a claimed 30 mph. During our test, the specifically designed Trail Tech computer indicated mid-20s before we ran out of room and had to let off the thumb throttle. It seems that Barefoot isn’t making outlandish claims here. However, as with any heavy-duty agricultural equipment, top speeds are generally unimportant with a much higher need for torque and low-speed pulling power. This is where the series motors pay off. The biggest threat is heat. Each motor is equipped with dual heat sensors which monitor temperature and serve to cut out the power delivery as the thresholds are crossed. First a yellow light flashes to indicate that the user needs to back it down, and then a red light indicates extreme situations. Once it cools, operation will resume as normal. I never generated enough load to witness this in effect, but Max assures that it takes a serious amount of use like towing heavy weights up steep inclines for extended periods in order to generate the kind of heat necessary for the safety precautions to kick in.

Though traversing steep terrain places more draw on the batteries and lessens the vehicle’s range, it also offers some benefits in the form of regeneration. When the wheels are turning but the throttle is off (a la coming back downhill), the motor creates positive energy flow back into the LiFePO4 cells. The regeneration also serves as a form of engine braking (Active Regen Descent Control) which can be felt any time the throttle is shut off. Like everything else, this too can be adjusted to suit personal needs which mean the rider can have a lot of braking effect or none.

Depending on the type of use and severity of terrain, the M-1 is good for anywhere between 3-8 work hours on a full charge. This might not sound very attractive, but what customers were surprised to find is that they spend a lot more time than they thought with the machine idling. Obviously, this doesn’t require any draw on the system so Max claims that every user so far has reported a full day’s work without any need to stop and plug in. However, this too is something that users are finding much easier to do than expected. For instance, any time they return to the barn to refill the sprayer, take a lunch break or are working on something where a standard electrical outlet is nearby, the EUV can be charging. Don’t worry about needlessly taxing the 1000-plus charge cycle for the batteries. Unlike your old cell phones, these are complete charge cycles, so if you plug in long enough to get half or a quarter of a charge, then you have only used up a half or quarter of a cycle. It’s perfectly fine to carry an extension cord in the massive rear storage box and whip it out at every chance.

Since everything is controlled electronically, Barefoot can essentially tailor the power curve to suit each customer’s needs. For instance, the quad I sampled had the throttle sensitivity turned down to the point that it was less responsive than a traditional ATV. It was impossible to get ham-fisted (or ham-thumbed, in this case), but the potential to make the motors act like a light switch is there. Just like a standard 4WD machine, the majority of power is transferred through the rear wheels. Mounce wasn’t messing around when he sourced a Graziano rear axle with a 12:1 ratio and sealed needle bearings in the swingarm – this thing is burly.

Our towing was limited to a small trailer with less than 500 pounds of cargo, but the max rated towing capacity is 1250 lbs. Front and rear racks can support 200/300 lbs, respectively. After seeing how overbuilt the chassis seems for the low-speed, straightforward use, I’d guess that these recommended maximums are listed well on the safe side.

The unit we tested was equipped with the 4WD option. Max explained that most of the clients so far have found that 2WD limited-slip differential is sufficient due to the weight of the machine and intended use. However, in the course of our testing, the extra motor was definitely needed. The Carlisle All Trail tires are nonaggressive and in loose soil we needed all four wheels searching for traction. Trust us, you don’t want to get this thing stuck and have to muscle it out. Just looking at the powder-coated steel frame and you’d guess that it was designed to do some serious manual labor; fortunately it’s designed to accept a 2500-lb Ramsey winch. The overbuilt chassis contributes a significant amount of weight, but mild steel was intentionally chosen for its simplicity and ease of maintenance. Barefoot wants owners who live far away from the southern Oregon headquarters to be able to do welding repairs themselves. Once everything is added up the 4WD version rings in at 880 pounds (claimed) and the 2WD is 770 lbs.

Riding the M-1 isn’t like any of the gas-powered machines I’ve tested. The sheer size and weight are enough to alert the pilot that this isn’t a freestyle machine, or even a trail bike. The seat platform is very wide which puts the rider’s knees farther apart than on a standard utility ATV. Surprisingly, the seat is also uncomfortably hard, but that’s the end of our ergonomic complaints. Extremely stiff suspension makes the rider well aware of the seat’s lack of comfort. The reason it’s so stiff is that Barefoot uses QA1 Carrera shocks. These babies are built for hot-rods and race cars and are pure overkill. Barefoot can order specific spring rates to suit individual needs. Dual A-arms up front provide six inches of travel.

There’s a reason why Mounce and the designers stuck with a monoshock rear end rather than independent rear suspension. Feedback from their early testing and market sampling showed that buyers preferred stability and minimal body roll during slow off-camber work or while parked over the increased and supple bump absorption of IRS. Well, they got it, I had a hard time getting the suspension to move period over any kind of terrain.

Operation couldn’t be easier with a key that gets the juice flowing, a forward/reverse switch is the extent of the required shifting and brake duties are managed by hand controls. Without a shifter or brake pedal, my feet felt a little lost with nothing to do. The hand brake levers work, but not exceptionally well – nearly 900 pounds (plus rider) is simply overwhelming for the disc brakes. Fortunately it doesn’t go fast, so stopping is easy enough.

At $11,900 for the 2WD model and $12,900 for 4WD, the Barefoot isn’t cheap, and compared to gasoline utility competitors the extra overhead might seem steep. This is where the whole green concept starts to apply to more than just ecological morals. Barefoot looks at the lifespan of the M-1 based on a 10,000-mile schedule - not to say that it won’t last longer, but just for argument’s sake. With gasoline at roughly $3-per-gallon, they anticipate a savings of around $3000 for fuel, and the same amount for replaceable parts and labor for engine maintenance (oils, filters, radiators, pumps, seals, transmission, etc). If you knock six grand off the purchase price and then compare that to the MSRP and maintenance expense of a standard four-wheeler, the price difference can be substantial. Not to mention any tax incentives you might be eligible for.

Will it really last that long? Time will tell, but our test showed that all the electrical componentry is protected well enough to be water-resistant, but not waterproof. We rode it through a creek several times, spinning the wheels and trying to get the underside and innards as wet as possible without subjecting it to a complete dunking. Nothing shorted out. Upper bodywork is crafted from ABS plastic with UV-resistant laminate coating, but the mudguards are made from impact-resistant TPO plastic. The bodywork rattles a considerable amount during riding, not that you’d ever know if it weren’t operating silently. The auditory experience of riding is very different than with a gas-powered machine. With the familiar thrum gone I became hypersensitive to “weird” noises, but I was mostly accustomed to it by the end of the day.

With nothing more obnoxious than a few clanks and occasional squeak from the brakes, silence is one of the M-1’s strongest attributes. Your cows and grapevines might not complain, but stealth allows the Barefoot to get off the farm. Much of the input during the development process came from agriculture, vineyards in particular, but the possibilities extend beyond the agrarian realm. As Max pointed out, state or private parks, ski lodges, municipalities and anyone acting in land management will benefit from the lack of pollution, be it noise or carbon dioxide. Such is the beauty of going green.