NATCHEZ — It has four mud-gripped tires, goes through muck and mud with ease and is rapidly becoming the serious hunter’s vehicle of choice.

No, it’s not the latest four-wheeler from Honda or Suzuki. In fact, it’s been around since 2003.

It’s the fully electric Bad Boy Buggy made right here in Natchez.

“A lot of people still don’t know we are located here,” Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC partner Jim Willard said.

Head of service and repair, Tony Smith said the buggy has come along way since the use of refurbished parts and E-Z Go carts.

“The first ones were made from E-Z Go golf carts and we would use used parts,” he said. “Not now. We have our bodies made for us in our factory in China and we get all the essential parts here in the states.”

The SUV next to the Bad Boy name doesn’t stand for Sports Utility Vehicle. It stands for “Silent Utility Vehicle.”

“Our motto is, ‘They’ll never here you coming,’” sales representative and partner Tom Mansell said. “With the electric motors, you have no motor noise and you can get to get in and out of the woods without making a sound.”

Smith said he has actually driven deer without them running off.

“I was on a hunt in Illinois where we used the buggy,” he said. “There were some deer in the field and we drove right past them on the way to the stand. They never got scared.”

The buggies are powered by duel electric motors each with 15.5 horsepower for a total of 31 hp.

That horsepower will get to a top speed of 18 mph and 170 foot pounds of torque.

The eight six-volt batteries can power the buggy up to 20 miles on a single charge.

It also has 15 inches of ground clearance to help you get over the rough terrain.

But what truly makes the Bad Boy Buggy unique is its front differential.

“We get the parts from Dana,” Smith said. “Once we get them, we assemble use them in on front axels.”

The Dana differentials allow the buggy to be switched between auto 4-wheel drive and regular drive. The buggies can also be switched to 4-wheel drive on the fly.

The Bad Boy Buggy retails for $8,975.00 and locals don’t have miles away to purchase one from a dealer.

“Our market is primarily aimed towards hunters,” Willard said. “But they can be used for many other uses around homes.”

For more information on the Bad Boy Buggy, visit www.badboybuggy.com.