It’s Like An Electric Go-Kart, But For Snow: ENVO SnowKart – CleanTechnica

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You’d have to be living under a rock these days to not know that electric bikes, which were just a sort of a DIY or niche thing not that long ago, have started to become pretty mainstream. Not only are we seeing more models of e-bikes hit the market almost daily, we’re also seeing that many people who were not previously cyclists have begun buying electric bikes for both transportation and for fun, making it no big deal to be riding one these days.

Perhaps it’s in part because of the e-bike boom that we’re now starting to see more electric mobility technology being applied to locomotion on different terrains, such as snow machines. Electric snowboards, snowbikes, and full-sized electric snowmobiles are now an option for exploring snow country, but if you don’t want or need a big snowmobile, there are products such as the MoonBike, which Steve recently covered.

The SnowKart is another small electric snow vehicle, and it happens to come in quite a bit cheaper than the €8900 (~$9500) MoonBike. The SnowKart, from the Canadian e-mobility company ENVO, admittedly has different specs than the MoonBike, but they both have a similar design — rear tracks and a front ski — and the SnowKart retails for about half the price at CA$5879 (~US$4363).

The SnowKart uses a pair of 48V 1000W motors delivering up to 120 Nm of torque to drive the tracks, coupled with a pair of 17.5Ah Li-ion batteries that the company says will last for “2 hours full throttle” and which take about 8 hours to charge. Two hours of ride time and then 8 hours charge time might not be adequate for some riders, but buying extra batteries to swap out during the day will allow for longer rides, and the batteries are rated down to -20C (-4 F), so they should perform well in most conditions that people will be out in. The SnowKart is said to be able to tow up to 400 pounds, and has a max speed of 20 km/h (~12.4 mph), although probably not at the same time.

“A fun-filled sustainable go-kart experience for snow lovers of all ages! The ENVO SnowKart is safe, quiet, and easy to use. This electric workhorse is ready for or any snowy adventure, from collecting firewood to full backwoods winter exploration or fun-filled racing on a snow track. With a strong powerplant and beefy treads, the ENVO SnowKart is capable in all winter terrains including ice, hard pack, slush or powder.”

For other snow fun, the company also sells a snowbike, as well as a kit for converting its Flex Overland fat tire e-bike into a snowbike. More information is available at the ENVO website.