After Justin Jackrel, president of citECar Electric Vehicles, challenged his employees in June to create an electric car that could reach 75 miles per charge, his staff created a product that reached 30 miles beyond his expectations.
On July 2, citEcar announced that its newest street-legal golf cart, the 6PR XLC, could reach 105 miles on only one charge.
“We’ve been working on a combination system of an upgraded battery pack, a more efficient and upgraded motor and solar panels that are made in the USA,” Jackrel said.
He said citEcar produced the 6PR XLC in response to customer demand for a vehicle with a longer range.
Clients interested in the vehicle usually need to taxi their customers for long periods of time, Jackrel said. The 6PR XLC can reach up to 25 mph and seats six people.
“The true secret to it was the addition of the solar panel,” said Jeff Hawkins, production manager for citEcar.
Hawkins, who helped create the 6PR XLC after Jackrel asked his team to create it, said it only took four hours to construct.
When an employee drove the 6PR XLC around in June to test the vehicle, Hawkins said it showed no sign of slowing down past his initial plan to reach 75 miles per charge.
“It would have ran all day until the sun went down,” he said.
The addition of the solar panel attracted Traci Walker, president of Canyon Zip Line in Ocala, to consider the product. She said she’s hoping to get a 6PR XLC that can seat eight people when one becomes available.
“Our carts are always out in the sun so it would work out great for us,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 10 on 7/15/2014 under the headline "Street-legal electric vehicle charges up beyond expectations"]
