In case you haven't heard Argo is now marketing the Atlas EV a full electric 8x8

[Buzz]

yeah fair point,

As things improve, it may become a no brainer though.
Expensive, that part sucks.
Weight vs. bouyancy of current body size..same.
But 60-mile range is probably good for most everything except long, round trip hunts.
And, drawing power from the grid uses less of the fuel source used to create the electricity than you would use running an internal combustion engine to do the same task (efficiencies of scale).
Don’t forget the hugely decreased maintenance required.
I haven’t found any decent info on how the Atlas EV drivetrain is set up.
Right now, I think it’s too heavy for its size and too expensive, especially considering the body size.
But if they could fix a few things, you may have a machine that is stealthy quiet, performs better with better reliability and far reduced maintenance, and it would could cost 80% less to operate day in and out (fuel alone).
I could be wrong
And I’m not a tree hugger
But when you deal with these things, it surely opens your eyes.
Holy Smokes though, that’s a lot of money to drop on a new/needs to be tested model. I’m optimistic to see where they go with it.

[john swenson]

good points buzz ...what i would like to see would be a small 6 wheel electric '' frontier '' model . 60 mile range and a affordable price for the recreation , short hunts and going to the cabin people . i wonder how many chains are on this new large machine ? johnboy va

[North Country Tough]

Buzz I like ur attitude I truly do forward thinking is exactly what is needed in the world today not old guy jaded pessimism lol Devils Advocate here less maintainance only if chains and a way better outer bearing is built independant drive motors to the wheels would be nice but iam not sure how I feel about sitting in a electric bathtub in a rain snow mix soaked to the bone after slogging around on a hunt the idea of enough amperage to microwave me I want to watch for a while before I jump in what I really want to see is a removable upper front clip so I can access the front axles chains alternator with both floor pans out and the firewall only the dash remains would be heaven.Cheers NCT

[North Country Tough]

And give me a provision for a solar method of charging if needed on outbound in the boons not sure that can be accomplished would like some kind of roll up and stow pv array rather than packing a Gen set I agree 60 miles a decent stretch for me I tend to cross many waterways and use wheel propulsion more it's not always feasible to have a small outboard climbing over a full load.NCT

[glen1971]

I'm guessing the range will drop significantly if it had tracks on it, or it was below zero out or if you happen to get stuck and need to use the winch.. Guess hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts can simply plug it in to a tree? It's already priced well out of the range of the average person, and this one is a lot impractical.

[North Country Tough]

I'm guessing the range will drop significantly if it had tracks on it, or it was below zero out or if you happen to get stuck and need to use the winch.. Guess hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts can simply plug it in to a tree? It's already priced well out of the range of the average person, and this one is a lot impractical.

Hmm Glen u bring up a good point winch use I also plow quite a bit around the ranch and run the enclosure heater not that it draws much but is hot water and we do use it a ton in the winter there are a number of hurtles to overcome before it would be widely accepted I have little doubt the tech will catch up.but it also has to be at a price point that makes sense to the average Joe not just industry.Nct

[glen1971]

I'm not sure what the plan for a heater would be. Electric heat? 3 mile extension cord? Generator in the back with a cord to keep it running?

[Buzz]

We are in the infancy period for something like this in a small, recreational, all-terrain rig. But if you don?t start, you don?t get anywhere. I like cavemen too (I am one). I only kniw how to do 1 thing really well, sweatshop labor lol.

Range suffers with all machines in those conditions.
EVs can take advantage of regenerative braking.
Maybe the drive motors put off heat. My guess would be they probably do. Some EVs have heat pumps which are much more efficient than resistive heaters.
We?ll see, performance, reliability, and longevity are what matters.
They get the price down, or at least offer a larger body/frame/payload for the price (which may mean more range can be added), then it becomes interesting. Get rid of chains, and now we?re really talking.
Lots of people still argue against EFI, 4-stroke, or buying anything new or modern, so I get that. Yet we all have wifi, and shop on Amazon and Ebay.

The main issue I see is that they need to overkill the Range (in a body/frame that can handle it) simply because the time to re-charge is a factor. But only for the guys that are going 50+ miles one way with no ability to charge and no willingness to figure it out. Many of the same guys will have fancy schmancy cabins off the grid and enjoy all the conforts of home?.because they were smart enough to do it, willing to figure out, and made sure to tell us all how much sense it makes LOL

[john swenson]

i guess if i could afford the ev one and was using it for hunting , going to cabin etc for a good ways or a few days , i'd only feel safe towing a generator on a small trailer untill further developements js

[North Country Tough]

As usual Buzz my lad U make too much sense i can not come up with enough negatives that u haven't already thought thru very enjoyable reads,I have had the pleasure of nearly forty years of off grid cabin not 4 star more like 11/2 but solar panels batt storage inverter not a huge system enough for any amount of illumination and some opulent things like micro wave Sat tv and Cocktail blender refrigeration hot water by propane and the true luxury a shower thanks to RV water pump and hot water heater for the bush i consider myself Huge all thanks to modern techno,my old dependable Avenger is the last for me in a long line of aatvs started by my father a true outdoorsman that knew John Gower on a first name basis that lead to how i learned to take care of these units the first Jiger was a challenge to keep running on a day to day basis father was never deterred we learned the weak spots of all we owned and engineered retro fits for more dependability.So yes knowing where the infancy period is I know quite well which leads me to not rush down any radically new direction as well as my age and retirement income certainly play into it,I like U know my machine from top to bottom and the weak spot is not the stone age carbon based fuel burner quite the opposite i have wrung nearly 18 years out of my first engine with little replacement parts the driveline well U know the story all too well with the severity of conditions in Alaska,i being aged like a fine wine look at the bottom line the cost for the benefit,load capacity a biggy less trips = less fuel burned,since the cabin water access i pack sometimes the impossible loads in hence my use of dual wheels which serve two purposes its load capacity is huge in water and the stability is greatly enhanced and unlike the conditions i see in Alaska deep ruts from big wheeled wheelers have some trail areas unusable for them the head off thru the bush making new ruts i drive effortlessly over those areas spanning the ruts from what i read on the new EV Argo its loads capacity in water is a joke seems to me that my famine resistant girth and a couple boxes of grocery's i would be at limit totally no good to go as far as maintenance i see no clear leap forward enough to justify cost as i said my dino carcass burning engine the least of my worries so simply putting a Singer electric motor coupled to the same old drive not sending me fleeing for my nearest dealer to spend the rest of my kids inheritance and i believe the price is near 60 CAD i paid less than that for my first house.Most people that own these rigs are not our youth its middle aged to my generation of old farts that either kids mortgages car payments or the stupid cost of living is weighing heavily or at my age time i save up enough to buy one the point may be mute or at best help with the old folks home costs I applaud the future of all and we have to get a grip on the destroying of our blue planet and EV tech is certainly a step in the proper direction but if not adopted world wide i see it as futile there are other country's that our population pales in comparison that are burning fuel at a alarming rate and to poor to deal with environmental issues or even care there i have said it climbing down off my podium,on a side note it has been awhile since i had been on the site and those tracks that Buzz has come up with are stellar great job i would luv a set but i really do not encounter the conditions that they shine in wild stuff keep it up Jeff i really wish U would move and take up a position at Argo.Cheers NCT