Uhlarik Joins as Head of Design

Welcome, Michael Uhlarik.

Michael Uhlarik, 25 year industry veteran in vehicle design, has joined Potential Motors as its Head of Design, leading the design of Potential’s first electric off-road vehicle. The vehicle will be a category-defining product in the off-road space, designed for overland adventure from the ground up.

Uhlarik brings decades of experience in designing vehicles and bringing them to market, having spent the majority of his career on two wheels — motorcycles. Throughout his career he has spent time at companies such as Yamaha, BRP, and most recently as Head of Design at Damon Motorcycles.

Opportunity for design innovation.

“This is the kind of step-change in design that occurs once or twice in a century, and presents a chance to create not just an iconic new vehicle but a whole new category,” said Uhlarik, “Over the next ten months the Potential Motors design team and I are going to realize our vision of what the future of off-road could be. Not just some new lines on an electrified UTV, but a new concept in terms of layout, materials, and capability that is going to surprise and delight existing experts as well as novices alike.”

Off-road’s low regulatory environment paired with electric vehicle architecture opens doors for transformational design innovation in terms of aesthetics and experience. As an outsider to the UTV space and a long-time EV expert, Uhlarik will bring a fresh perspective to the philosophy and fundamentals of what an off-road vehicle can be.

“This is a new category of vehicle. You just can’t squarely fit it into any segment that exists today,” said Sam Poirier, Co-founder & CEO, “We wanted someone who understood the core mission of the product, but wasn’t inhibited by legacy ideas of what an off-road vehicle should be. As an avid adventurer himself with a proven track record of designing world-class vehicles, Michael is exactly who we were looking for.”

Read Michael Uhlarik’s full announcement and vision for off-road design’s electric future here.

Developing an off-road vehicle

Potential Motors got its start in development of vehicle control software for electric side by sides, and will be bringing its technology directly to consumers through its own vehicle. The company does not intend to be a mass manufacturer, but rather a craft vehicle OEM and technical partner for the industry’s transition to electric side by side UTVs.

Potential has already developed an initial prototype. This is the first test mule for both its vehicle control technology and the product’s fundamental layout. The prototype will be unveiled to the public next quarter.

About Potential Motors.

Potential Motors is a craft off-road vehicle maker and electric vehicle technology company. Its technology auto-adapts vehicle systems to terrain for optimal driver control and simplifies vehicle architecture for manufacturers. Headquartered in New Brunswick, Canada, Potential Motors will sell low-volume premium electric off-road vehicles and supply software and engineering services to off-road OEMs. Potential Motors is a VC-backed startup by investors such as Brightspark Ventures and Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, having raised $6.5M CAD / $5M USD to date.

Media contact:

Noah Tompkins, VP of Marketing, noahtompkins@potentialmotors.com