Vanderhall Brawley is the electric UTV we've been waiting for – Roadshow

I’m always on the lookout for the next cool dirt-mobile, and Vanderhall has my curiosity piqued with the all-electric Brawley. This electron-powered enclosed side-by-side has a range of up to 200 miles with four electric motors producing 404 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. It will be the first high-performance electric UTV when it comes online as a 2022 model.

Vanderhall, famous for its whack-a-doo three-wheeled vehicles, teased a four-wheeled dirt-slinger called the Navarro last November. The Brawley looks to be the next iteration of that concept, albeit with a name change.

Visually the Brawley looks like it’s had a lot of inspiration from the Jeep Wrangler in the front end with its slotted grille and round headlamps peeking out from behind. However, with 22 inches of travel, 35-inch tires and internal bypass shocks, it’s likely going to be able to handle the whoops at a much faster pace. Also included is four-wheel steering, which seems like a bit of overkill with such a short wheelbase — but hey, if you want to turn on a dime, this is the machine for you. 

Energy for those 200 miles is stored in a 40-kWh or 60-kWh battery running on 300-volt architecture. That’s not going to allow for crazy-fast charging like in the 800-volt Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 5, but DC fast charging is available to give you 80% of a charge in under an hour. 

Further, the company did not specify if those are 200 pavement miles or dirt miles. In my experience, a 60-kWh battery paired with a light-weight vehicle is only going to last that long on the pavement. I’d expect the dune-bashing as shown in the company’s promo video to yield a range closer to 50 or 60 miles on a charge. That soft sand offers a lot of resistance, y’all.

The Brawley has a removable roof section and also comes with heating and air conditioning, a stereo system and optional heated seats. There is room for four adults in the two-door Brawley.

One thing I don’t see on the Brawley is a spare tire, which is a bit worrisome. Hopefully Vanderhall adds a mount to the rear before launch. I’m certainly not going off-road without a spare, and neither should you. 

Vanderhall did not release pricing or availability, but you can preorder your Brawley starting July 15 on the company’s website.

Source: Electric - cnet.com