I recently obtained this lovely new yard ornament named Yak.
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dokelhnq5/images/w_1024,h_768,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1588203335/IMG_1106/IMG_1106.jpeg?_i=AA 1024w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dokelhnq5/images/w_300,h_225,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1588203335/IMG_1106/IMG_1106.jpeg?_i=AA 300w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dokelhnq5/images/w_768,h_576,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1588203335/IMG_1106/IMG_1106.jpeg?_i=AA 768w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dokelhnq5/images/w_1536,h_1152,c_scale/f_auto,q_auto/v1588203335/IMG_1106/IMG_1106.jpeg?_i=AA 1536w, https://res.cloudinary.com/dokelhnq5/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1588203335/IMG_1106/IMG_1106.jpeg?_i=AA 2000w)
Yak is 1/3 of our snowmobile fleet at Meany Lodge. Our main winter transport for the 3 miles from Crystal Springs Sno-Park to the Lodge is Tomcat which can haul 35 people + gear. We use the snowmobiles for the many smaller transport tasks such as hauling large sleds full of groceries and gear to and from the car park.
This machine suffered a mechanical failure and the cost of repair exceeds the machines value. Instead of disposing of Yak, I intend to strip the 4-cycle ICE powertrain and replace it with an electric motor and a DIY Li-Ion battery pack. The project is just getting started as I’ve purchased a box of battery cells to experiment with and started searching for the lightest and most efficient 100HP motor I can find.
When it is complete and we have demonstrated a minimum viable product (the ability to drive to and from the Sno-Park with sufficient reserve capacity), I hereby promise to impersonate the canonical “It’s Alive” scene.