Kandi Technolgies Corp (KNDI)

[Destrabar]

Is the K32 UTV street legal?

On 2021-10-19, I wrote

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Kandi K32 electric UTV

The K32 is described as a UTV, but we can see that it is basically an electric pickup truck. It looks good compared to the competition at its current price point of $34,499:

https://www.forbes.com/wheels/news/electric-pickups-on-the-horizon-ford-f-150-lightning/

It should be easier for Kandi to pass U.S. crash testing requirements with this larger vehicle or the next iteration of it than with its smaller K23 and K27 vehicles.

I hope we can see a street legal electric pickup truck from Kandi sometime within the next 2 years."
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implying that the K32 is not street legal.

What makes a car street legal?

According to https://www.compare.com/ways-to-save/vehicle/street-legal-race-cars

- Seat belts
- A regular, round steering wheel (not a butterfly-style steering wheel)
- A functioning horn
- A hood (and the height of the air intakes may be regulated)
- Bumpers
- License plates
- A muffler
- Functioning brakes and an emergency brake
- All required lights (headlights, brake lights, taillights) and reflectors
- A certain amount of ground clearance — not too little (like lowriders) or too much (like monster trucks)

Here is what Texas Department of Motor Vehicles says about UTVs:

A Utility Vehicle (UTV) is a motor vehicle that:

- Has side by side seating for the operator and passenger
- Has four or more tires
- Is designed for off-highway use
- Is designed by the manufacturer for utility work and not for recreational purposes.

https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/unique-vehicles

When I wrote "street legal" on 2021-10-19, that was a poor choice of words. I should have written "I hope we can see an electric pickup truck allowed on highways from Kandi sometime within the next 2 years" or something like that.

More information from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website:

An off-highway vehicle operated on public off-highway vehicle land must have:
- A brake system
- A muffler system
- U.S. Forest Service qualified spark arrester
- A head light and tail light
- An Off-Highway Vehicle decal issued by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

ATVs, ROVs, UTVs and Sand Rails with an Off-Highway Vehicle license plate may be operated on roads in the following situations:
- In a master planned community with a uniform set of restrictive covenants and a county or municipality-approved plat
- On a road with a posted speed limit of not more than 35 mph, during the daytime and not more than two miles from the location where it is usually parked for transportation to and from a golf course
- To cross intersections, including a road or street that has a posted speed limit of more than 35 mph.

Additionally, cities and certain counties may authorize operation of ATVs, ROVs, UTVs, and Sand Rails on roads within the boundaries of the city or within unincorporated areas of certain counties. The ATV, ROV, UTV and Sand Rail must display an Off-Highway Vehicle license plate when operated on roads authorized by the city or county. Operation may be authorized only on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. If operated on the roads at a speed of 25 mph or less, an ATV, ROV, UTV and Sand Rail is required to display a slow-moving vehicle emblem.

ATVs, ROVs, UTVs and Sand Rails may be operated on roads without the issuance of a license plate if the vehicle is:
- Owned by a state, county, or municipality and operated on a public beach or highway to maintain public safety and welfare
- Operated by a farmer or a rancher during the daytime and traveling no more than 25 miles from the point of origin to the destination and used in connection with the production, cultivation, harvesting, etc., of agricultural products*
- Operated by a public utility worker during the daytime for utility work and traveling no more than 25 miles from the point of origin to the destination*
- Operated by a law enforcement officer, or other person who provides firefighting, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services, and traveling no more than 10 miles from the point of origin to the destination*.


* ATVs, ROVs, UTVs and Sand Rails operated on a road without an Off-Highway Vehicle license plate require a triangular orange flag (slow moving emblem) mounted to the back of the vehicle at least six feet above ground level and the vehicle’s headlights and taillights to be illuminated.