2010 Polaris Ranger EV "needs batteries"

I pull up to 300 amps in my 2012 Ranger EV under load and around 180 amps at full speed on flat ground.

I have a battery bank that's rated for 360A continuous/600A peak which is definitely overkill for this application.

I'd recommend checking out the Epoch Batteries/18650 batteries websites. They're about to release 48v drop-in kits that compete with Dakota and BigBattery.com.

Edit: we hit 376 amps peak and 350 amps continuous x 30s going up a steep hill with 4 dudes on board (2 in cab, 2 in jump seat in bed; probably around 900 pounds total).

Vandy1981 said:

I pull up to 300 amps in my 2012 Ranger EV under load and around 180 amps at full speed on flat ground.

I have a battery bank that's rated for 360A continuous/600A peak which is definitely overkill for this application.

I'd recommend checking out the Epoch Batteries/18650 batteries websites. They're about to release 48v drop-in kits that compete with Dakota and BigBattery.com.

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I’m surprised/encouraged to hear that the Epoch batteries perform well in your setup. I too have a HD ATV (Gator EV) with aftermarket high torque motor and am trying to find batteries that specify they can do 300-500Amp burst (~2 sec) and there aren’t many (and all HD batteries are 2x the price in r “normal” server rack/solar batteries, like Dakota vs. LiTime). Do you regularly have a load in the bed (firewood, feed/corn sacks) or pull a trailer without problems, other than decreasing range?

I just noticed you said “I have a 360A continuous/600A peak”pack but that we should consider Epoch (rated at 100-150 Amps depending model), what is your pack and did you assemble yourself or did you buy off the shelf. I just bought a clamping Amp meter because I want to know exactly what my ATV
draws on startup…I’m all for buying one drought enough but I don’t want to overspec if it’s t costs 200% extra (and I’m my reading/shopping, It will)

I haven't loaded the bed or pulled a trailer with the Ranger--it's mainly used for transport to a hunting stand with light off-roading.

I have a bank of six 100Ah 24V Epoch (rebranded RoyPow) trolling motor batteries in a 2 series 3 parallel configuration. Each battery can tolerate 120A continuous/200A 60 second pulse, so that adds up to 360A continuous/600A pulse. They were the most affordable option that were waterproof, had self-heating and smart monitoring features, although they were a $300 cheaper when I bought them. I would have preferred not to have batteries in series, but 48V options weren't available at the time. They get out of balance by a few percent after a while, but that's easily remedied with occasional top charging.

Vandy1981 said:

I haven't loaded the bed or pulled a trailer with the Ranger--it's mainly used for transport to a hunting stand with light off-roading.

I have a bank of six 100Ah 24V Epoch (rebranded RoyPow) trolling motor batteries in a 2 series 3 parallel configuration. Each battery can tolerate 120A continuous/200A 60 second pulse, so that adds up to 360A continuous/600A pulse. They were the most affordable option that were waterproof, had self-heating and smart monitoring features, although they were a $300 cheaper when I bought them. I would have preferred not to have batteries in series, but 48V options weren't available at the time. They get out of balance by a few percent after a while, but that's easily remedied with occasional top charging.

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Ah, running them in series like that gets around the smaller discharge rates…I too am looking for a one box solution but they still don’t rate the discharge very high…as such, I’m emailing manufacturers and asking about server rack batteries as some of them (Bigbattery.com) put the same cells/BMS in those for economy of scale. I’ll check Epoch/18650.com. Thx!

Pottscb said:

Ah, running them in series like that gets around the smaller discharge rates

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You don't get a boost in discharge rate with series configuration--you get it with parallel configuration.

Right, typo…you got the boost from parallel. (That was also a pricey setup but you should buy an inverter in case your house loses Power, you could run for days off that much juice)

johnbrowngreybeard said:

I purchased a non-running 2010 Polaris Ranger EV. It seems to be in very good condition. (I was surprised.) Rumor says “it needs batteries”. I won’t know until I purchase $2,000 of batteries if there might be something else wrong. And the battery world is changing, a lot. So I am trying to understand EVs and batteries. I am considering LiFePO4 batteries supplied by BigBattery (48V Eagle 2X) or Dakota (48V 96AH). My specific question concerns a statement on Dakota website - “If your motor controller is rated 240 Amps or higher, you may need two of these 48V batteries in parallel.” The Polaris owner’s manual says the controller is “650 - Amp Sevcon Gen IV controller with multimode driving and regenerative braking”. (A call to the Dakota sales department suggested that one 96AH battery would work.) Does anybody know what the battery requirements (amps) are for the 650 - Amp Sevcon Gen IV controller?

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If you decide on regular lead acid batteries they have to be cleaned and filled monthly if not done, the cables will corrode and depending on your charging pratices will need water.. On my 2019 I have to take off the inner rear fenders to get to batteries. Sealed and AGM batteries should relieve some this maintenance. I'll need new batteries in a year or so I'm keeping an eye on what's happening. You should be able to get your charger checked. Some of the drop in LI systems come with a charger. Good luck. Keep us posted.

Oddly, I recently bought a project John Deere Gator EV (turf) and the batteries were waay bad…8x6V replacement T105 deep cycle lead
Acid is almost $2K! (And will need to be changed in~500 cycles). Lithium are a comparable price (buy a much lower Ah for the same range as you can use 90% of their capacity vs 40% leads.

Seems like Lead is trying to become obsolete.

Pottscb said:

That was also a pricey setup but you should buy an inverter in case your house loses Power, you could run for days off that much juice

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I have a split phase 6kW inverter/charger that plugs into an Anderson connector on the cab. The plan is to use it to power our camp RV or the deer stand. We also have a Ford Lightning with a 131 kWh battery and a 9.6 kW inverter so we're ready if there's a power outage

Vandy1981 said:

I have a split phase 6kW inverter/charger that plugs into an Anderson connector on the cab. The plan is to use it to power our camp RV or the deer stand. We also have a Ford Lightning with a 131 kWh battery and a 9.6 kW inverter so we're ready if there's a power outage

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I’m spec’ing 48V LiFePO batteries for ATV and looking at emergency power options for home due to recent power outages in TX…just want to be able to “get by” on the ATV’s battery until power comes back on, any idea what this would entail? A 48V to 120V converter is all I think is necessary but not sure how this would feed into a residential breaker panel.

Pottscb said:

I’m spec’ing 48V LiFePO batteries for ATV and looking at emergency power options for home due to recent power outages in TX…just want to be able to “get by” on the ATV’s battery until power comes back on, any idea what this would entail? A 48V to 120V converter is all I think is necessary but not sure how this would feed into a residential breaker panel.

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You would need a transfer switch and would probably need a critical needs panel depending on how big your main panel is. You could also just plug in an extension cord and run it to your fridge/freezer.

Vandy1981 said:

You would need a transfer switch and would probably need a critical needs panel depending on how big your main panel is. You could also just plug in an extension cord and run it to your fridge/freezer.

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Which would require a 48V to 110V converter,
Right?

Pottscb said:

Which would require a 48V to 110V converter,
Right?

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You would need a 48 VDC to 120v/240v VAC inverter.