Recreational Low Speed EV Company to Expand Offerings to Highway

10 May 2008

RTEV, a provider of recreational electric low-speed vehicles (LSVs), officially launched itself last week in Atlanta, Georgia, with an eye toward expanding its line-up to the highway. Low Speed Vehicles are a US Department of Transportation designation for cars that can be licensed and driven on roads that have speed limits of 35 MPH and less.

RTEV comprises two divisions, Ruff & Tuff and Wheego. The company currently offers three recreational vehicles under its Ruff & Tuff brand: the Cruiser, the 4-wheel drive Hunter, and the Workman, all of which could be converted to be street-legal Low Speed Vehicles. Ruff and Tuff sales totaled nearly 1,000 vehicles in 2007.

In Q3 2008 RTEV will introduce a line of electric scooters and bicycles under the Wheego brand, to be followed by the auto-shaped LSVs in 2009, and full-size, full-speed electric vehicles in 2010.

Founded as Ruff & Tuff Products in 2000, RTEV introduced its first line of electric vehicles in 2005. The vehicles use dry cell sealed (AGM) lead acid. RTEV vehicles support a range up to 70 miles on a single charge.