We're Still Waiting for Canada's All-Electric Ekko Snowmobile To Hit the Slopes

Ladies and gentlemen, Taiga Motors is a crew we've covered before on autoevolution. Why? Well, their mission is to herald a new future for snow and watersport mobiles. That said, their lineup includes two watercraft and three snowmobiles.

Now, electric snowmobiles are nothing new, but Taiga does present these babies as being overly capable, so much so as to match ICE-powered machines. But, the Ekko isn't cheap and will require at least $17,500 American (€16,400 at current exchange rates) for the most standard of performance packages.

For example, Taiga Motors states that an Ekko snowmobile can crank out up to 180 horses of power. That's around 30 hp more than the average 800 cc ICE mobile. Sure, this is an EV, so those numbers don't mean much. What matters is the 170 Nm (125 lb-ft) of torque that can be produced. We'll get into what all that means shortly.

Overall, a whole bunch of information on the Ekko isn't found on the manufacturer's website, but that doesn't stop us from diving in further. For example, there's nothing on how large the battery or motor may be, just a max range and some performance specs.

In all, 98 km of range is available from the standard and performance setup, which doesn't sound like much, but once we consider that the motor can hit 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) in 3.3 seconds, we can understand why the range is so low. As standard, only 120 hp can be accessed, and it'll take 4.1 seconds to hit 100 kph. Nothing on top speed is mentioned.

What Taiga does mention is what you can achieve with the setup they have in place. In all, 1,125 lbs (510 kg) of towing capacity can be handled by the Ekko and a payload of up to 126 lbs (57 kg). Then there's the whole problem of recharging these babies.

As I explored the Ekko and all it can achieve, I noticed that level 1 charging would take up to 14 hours. 14 hours! Sure, level 2 charging requires 3.5 hours, but not everyone has the cash for level 2 recharging. Luckily, Taiga is working on level 3 recharging, that's supposed to take... we don't know; yet another piece of omitted information.

With most of the electronics aside - there is an app for the Ekko, too - let's explore the visual design of things. Starting with the ground up, Taiga mentions that the Ekko is designed with a long track for superb traction and power and narrow ski spacing to "move through deep snow." that track is powered by a synchronous belt, but there is no mention of the brand behind the magic.

There is, however, a mention of Ekko's standard suspension and optional setup, both of which are made of a double wishbone design at the front and multilink at the back. But the upgrade also includes gear from Elka, a crew that's been around since the year 2000.

Moving upward, we encounter a rather rudimentary framework onto which bodywork is placed. It's not specified what sort of materials make up the Ekko and its looks, but Taiga has a habit of working with carbon fiber on their EVs. One of their jet skis is even named the Orca Carbon, and as such, is built with nothing but carbon fiber. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

Now, I mentioned that the Ekko starts at $17,500, but in truth, things can get a bit wilder than that. A standard motor option with an upgraded suspension will cost us $19,500, and if we upgrade the motor too, $21,500 is what Taiga demands for a new Ekko. Quite a bit, if you ask me, and for a vehicle that we know very little about.

Beyond all that, there's something I'd like to point out about the Ekko that I've noticed in the past year or so. Since the first days, Taiga announced preorders as being open for the Ekko, nothing on their website has changed; the Ekko is still in its preorder stages. Why? Well, we don't know.

Yet, it seems we have nothing to be afraid of because, according to the manufacturer's website, other Taiga Motors vehicles are already being delivered. But this is true for the Orca and Orca Carbon jet skis and none of the three available snowmobile models.

Furthermore, this is often one of the ways brands raise money to begin the manufacturing process, and until they have enough put to the side, things will probably remain the way they are. But why isn't Taiga investing in the final product? That's a question for another day.

While it's not here just yet, Taiga Motors can be used as living proof that the electrification of our vehicles extends far beyond just cars and bicycles. Winter is about to get a whole lot more fun and quiet.