Slate Auto isn’t the only company betting that customers want to build their own electric vehicle from a parts kit. Canadian micromobility company Envo’s Personal Transporter utility is a modular electric platform that can be reconfigured into nearly 20 different vehicles: golf cart, go-kart, snowkart, ATV, side-by-side, cargo quadricycle, last-mile delivery platform, and even a stretcher-equipped emergency vehicle.
Envo has spun off the platform into its own sub-brand, Modular-EV, with a dedicated storefront and online configurator separate from Envo’s core e-bike and go-kart business.
This is an electric cart, not an electric car. UPT reaches speeds well below highway speeds and is not intended to replace your daily driver. It is intended to replace the five or six single-use machines that currently clutter your garage, agricultural shed or fleet depot. Envo’s messaging leans heavily on the smartphone analogy: the idea that UPT should be the only thing you need in your garage, the same way your phone has replaced your camera, calculator, and GPS.
The company already makes electric bikes, go-karts, golf carts and cargo quadricycles. A modular electric micromobility platform is therefore a logical next step. The UPT relies on an aluminum T-slot base block chassis rather than a traditional welded frame, making the reconfiguration trick possible. The length and width of the platform can be resized, and the suspension, motors and body modules bolt on where the application requires them — no welding required.
Power comes from independently controlled hub motors on each wheel, which Envo says gives it precise four-motor torque control rather than a single drive unit sending power via the axles and differentials. (This also allows the EV to perform zero-radius tank turns.) Buyers can specify a short or long wheelbase, 2WD or 4WD, and either a single 2.83 kWh battery or two 5.66 kWh packs for a range of up to 200 km (62 to 125 miles), depending on configuration and payload. That may sound short, but we’re talking about an electric golf cart with a top speed of 40 mph (60 km/h); it’s not exactly designed for road trips. Keeping with the modular theme, the batteries themselves are user-swappable and repairable, which is a nice nod to repairability.
From there, it’s a matter of choosing tires (CargoBike or off-road), steering (steering wheel or handlebars, car-style pedals or bicycle crank generator), seats, and body components like bumpers and trunks. The whole thing can be taken apart with hand tools and rebuilt from a parts catalog, and folds up small enough to fit in a pickup truck bed.
Modular-EV sells the platform both as a bare rolling chassis and as a range of pre-built versions, each with its own model number. There’s the UP20 base platform, the UT20 utility vehicle and UT21 golf cart, the AT20 to AT23 off-road and mobility scooter variants and much more. My favorites are the GC20 buggy kart and the LV20 microcar.
There is also a series of ET Series work vehicles aimed at airports, hospitals, film crews, event marketers and municipal fleets, all sold on the same chassis with different body kits. Envo also announced a partnership with autonomous driving company Faction to bring AI-based autonomous driving capabilities to UPT for last-mile delivery. These commercial fleets will likely be the largest market for modular TPUs, not the average aisle.
That said, I think the DIY nature of the builds is what makes this interesting beyond the world of fleet vehicles. Someone using an electric side-by-side vehicle around a large property, or a golf cart in a car-free community, could keep a bin of spare parts on hand and turn the same chassis into a mower or plow when the season calls for it, instead of purchasing and stocking a separate machine for each task.
The Modular-EV UPT starts at around $9,000 for the bare UP20 platform, with most finished presets selling for between $10,000 and $12,000. It’s not cheap for something you can’t take on the highway, but the talk isn’t “buy a cart”, it’s “buy a rig”. You can’t mow your lawn with a Honda Civic. With that, you can then turn around and use the same chassis to haul cargo, shovel snow, then throw the whole kit in the back of a truck and take it camping.
Antuan Goodwin
Senior Editor, Electrified Cars
Antuan started in the auto industry the old-fashioned way, turning wrenches in a driveway and collecting speeding tickets. He now has nearly 20 years of expertise and experience behind the wheel of hundreds of cars, including electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and traditional combustion vehicles. For each car he tests, Antuan drives more than 200 miles and evaluates the driving dynamics; acceleration and braking performance; range; and efficiency. Antuan’s goal is to use his extensive automotive knowledge to educate CNET readers and help them with their next automotive purchasing decision. Whether you’re curious about electric vehicles, passionate about electric vehicles, or loyal to combustion cars, Antuan will bring you the unbiased advice, reviews, best lists and news you need. You can reach Antuan at antuan.goodwin@cnet.com See full bio
