Modern electric cars are nice enough, but ask them to climb a snowy bank or forge through a forest and we suspect you’d quickly find their limitations.
For truly tough conditions, you need something a little more adaptable–but there’s no reason you should sacrifice electric propulsion to do so.
That’s where the MTT-136 comes in (via Autoblog).
Uninspiring name perhaps, but Canadian inventor Yvon Martel’s “My Track Technology” vehicle is possibly the world’s most capable, adaptable electric vehicle.
It looks a little like something a villain might attempt to drive over a trapped James Bond, but inside the tracked 280-lb sled is an electric drivetrain and battery, providing it with 28 to 130 miles of range, depending on how strenuous the terrain is.
The tracked design gives the MTT-136 amazing traction in the slipperiest of conditions, meaning it can be used on snow, loose dry surfaces or even small bodies of water, judging by the accompanying video.
Because the sled unit is entirely independent from whatever thing it’s towing, it’s adaptable too.
Shown driving in the snow, you can hook it up to a simple sled or series of trailers. But on land, you might choose a wheeled trailer, or even a scooter-style stand-up perch.
You might choose to slide behind it on a set of skis, or even walk along with it to help navigate tough terrain on foot–or use it to drag or push heavy objects, like the car being freed from snow in the video. It can even roll up stairs.
And if you don’t need its motive abilities, it’s still a movable sled with its own power source, that can be used to power chainsaws and other useful tools.
Martel is currently seeking distributors for his product, and frankly we can’t see him searching too long. It might not be much use for your daily commute–unless your commute is the sort you’d normally do on a snowmobile–but its uses as a work tool seem near-limitless.
Perhaps the Canadian military might look into something like this, rather than experimenting with electric snowmobiles like ‘Loki’?
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