Electric Can-Am Side-by-Side on the Way

Part of a $300 million EV project from BRP

We could be testing an EV version of the Commander in the next five years.Kevan Ray

Can-Am’s parent company, BRP just announced it’s going all in on electrification. By the end of 2026, the company plans to launch EV models for every product line. In 2019 BRP purchased the electric motorcycle manufacturer Alta, and is using that technology as the basis for a new Rotax modular electric powerpack that will be the backbone for the new EV push.

While BRP has not released any information on exactly what models will be shipping with batteries, we can make a couple of safe assumptions. First off, the company said “all product lines.” That means we are 100 percent getting a Can-Am UTV with electric propulsion. Odds are good that the first model to hit dealers is the Can-Am Defender. Polaris is already preparing to launch its full-size Ranger EV using similar motorcycle EV technology, so Can-Am will likely respond.

We also think an EV-powered Commander would be an absolute riot. Automotive companies have proven that EVs can be incredibly fast, so a more performance-oriented electric UTV is surely in the planning stages. We’d love to see an electric Maverick X3 as well, but the size and weight of EV batteries might make it difficult to build an X3 that meets customers’ performance expectations.

Polaris is also preparing to expand its EV offerings with a new full-size Ranger EV this December.Polaris

In total BRP is pledging to invest $300 million dollars over the next five years to make this project happen. It is also worth noting that if you have expertise in electrical engineering or EV systems, BRP is hiring folks for this project. Maybe you can be the person responsible for getting us that 300 hp Maverick X3 EV.