Snowmobiles, and in summer noisy smelly ATVs, are a real nuisance for
those wishing immersion in nature. Not to mention the pollution they
leave behind.
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/the-electric-future-of-snowmobiling/
...
Taiga is the maker of one of the world’s first electric snowmobiles, and
has since applied the technology to personal watercraft as well. The
company is at the forefront of a burgeoning electric recreation
industry, which aims to reduce not only decibels and fumes but also
reliance on fossil fuels that, when burned, contribute to climate
change.
From the outside, the Taigas look nearly identical to their gas
counterparts. But with the ability to go from zero to 100 kilometers per
hour in as little as 2.9 seconds, they have more torque than many
combustion-engine sleds.
...
Taiga snowmobiles start at about $17,490 and can travel about 60 miles
on a charge. The company expects to make its first snowmobile delivery
this winter, and the waiting list for its sleds is already more than a
year long.
...
The climate benefits of shifting the power sports industry away from
fossil fuels could be significant. Snowmobiles in the United States
consumed almost 150 million gallons of gasoline in 2020, the Federal
Highway Administration estimated. Nonhighway motorcycles used more than
216 million gallons and all-terrain vehicles another 382 million.
Boating guzzled a whopping 2.3 billion gallons. Combined, that’s the
equivalent to the planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 6
million cars operating for a year.
Small gasoline engines can also be outsize contributors of other
pollutants, such as smog and unburned gasoline. The two-stroke engines
still found in many snowmobiles are particularly potent. “[They] are
incredibly cheap to make and they have an incredible power-to-weight
ratio,” said Gary Bishop, a senior research engineer at the University
of Denver who has studied snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park.
“From a pollution point of view, they are about as bad as you can get.”
...
Taiga wants to produce 10,000 snowmobiles annually by 2025.
...,
The primary technical problems Bruneau and his colleagues faced were
cost, cold and weight. If the machines are too heavy, they sink into the
snow or drag. Low temperatures can drain batteries and limit range — an
issue Taiga helps stave off by using some of the batteries’ energy to
prevent the lithium-ion cells from getting too cold, which improves
overall efficiency.
...
As for cost, the company estimates that its electric snowmobiles are
priced about $2,000 to $2,500 higher than gas equivalents. Bruneau said
the difference could pay back in fuel savings within a year or two for
moderate to frequent snowmobilers...
...
To mitigate the range issue, Taiga is hoping to dramatically expand its
network of chargers. Currently, there are only two installed — including
the one in Saint-Paulin. But the goal is to have 1,100 across North
America, ideally positioned near food or other natural stopping points,
including marinas for personal watercraft.
With the optional fast-charger package, the snowmobile can recharge to
80% in as little as half an hour — just enough time for a pit stop.
...
More marquee names in the industry have also expressed ambitions to move
in that direction. BRP, which owns the Ski-Doo and Sea-Doo brands, aims
to have all-electric models by 2026. Polaris is working with an electric
motorcycles manufacturer to find ways to incorporate battery power in
its off-road vehicles and sleds. In a statement, Arctic Cat’s senior
vice president of engineering, Bill Rhinesmith, said that the company
has “built, and continues to develop, concepts for electric
snowmobiles.”
----------
Peri
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