Upfit UTV, a Fox Factory subsidiary and developer of purpose-built custom vehicles, and OMI, an electric powertrain engineering company, have unveiled an off-road hybrid powertrain, dubbed OMI Fusion-Drive.
The system places an interior permanent magnet motor on the front axle with a battery system in the front floor of the UTV chassis, with the conventional ICE retained in the rear. The companies say this pairing combines “the power and range of combustion engines with the instant acceleration, precise throttle response, and quiet operation of electric motors,” which makes the powertrain ideal for defense applications demanding stealth and reliability, heavy-duty work in agriculture and construction, and recreational off-roading such as rock crawling.
“OMI Fusion-Drive lets us deliver game-changing performance for off-road vehicles,” said Justin Smith, CEO of Upfit UTV. “The combination of power, adaptability and advanced technology ensures we’re meeting the needs of even the most demanding applications.”
According to Upfit, the system’s scalable design enables installation without chassis modification across a range of vehicle models, which provides fast installation and more product choices. OMI states that its pre-integration and platform-level optimizations reduce cost, weight and space, helping OEMs and upfitters cut development time from years to months.
The Polaris Ranger 1500 will be the first platform featuring OMI Fusion-Drive; it will be available in diesel and gasoline options and is due to hit the market in Q1 2026.
