Is Can-Am Building an Electric Side-by-Side?

It was only a matter of time before side-by-side manufacturers hopped on the electric-vehicle trend. We have already seen it with the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic and the Volcon Stag EV, and now it seems Can-Am is moving in that direction, as well.

Last week, BRP announced that the company has acquired Great Wall Motor Company Austria, which specializes in e-drive systems and transmissions.

“We look forward to welcoming the 53 very qualified and experienced engineers, technicians, and professionals as we continue reinforcing our EV expertise required to deploy our ambitious strategy. This acquisition will further strengthen our know-how in e-motor, inverter hardware, and software development,” said Thomas Uhr, chief technology officer at BRP, of the acquisition.

While an electric Defender would bring a direct challenge to Polaris’ Ranger XP Kinetic, we’d love to see Can-Am go full bore on an electric Maverick X3. Given the outrageous performance of vehicles like the Tesla Model S Plaid and the instant torque from electric motors, the technology seems like a natural fit for the sport segment. Can-Am’s being traditionally tight-lipped, however. We’ll have to be patient to see what comes of the work with Great Wall.

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