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Cnc

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Posts posted by Cnc

  8. Quebec possibly banning gas powered sleds by 2035

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    5 hours ago, PLAYHARD said:

     

    Yep...

    The three critical barriers to widespread replacement of fossil fuels with electricity haven't changed in the last decade and frankly there hasn't been much progress on any of them.
    They are:
    1. Range
    2. Time to recharge
    3. Availability of recharge retailers

     

    A recent news story in Canada has Francois Legault, Premier of the province of Quebec (for our US readers, that's similar to a state Governor), posturing to ban the sale of internal combustion engine powered on-road vehicles by 2035.

    His rationale is the same as every other blinkered politician: Save the environment. To the Premier's credit, Quebec is rich in low environmental impact hydro-generated electricity.

    Of course, this has to be framed with the reality that the incredible amount of land mass flooded many decades ago to provide a reservoir for waterfall turbines to generate said power, created what would today be considered an environmental apocalypse. Oops, can't do anything about that now.

    I digress. Consider the fall-out from such a drastic, unwise move. First off, the reason electric cars are selling in higher ratios in Quebec compared to other Canadian jurisdictions is the abundant government subsidies (rebates) buyers receive, both provincially and federally.

    These subsidies, if they remain in place, are monetarily unsustainable when you extrapolate their cost over the total Quebec auto market – not just a few percent of the market.

    In the meantime the money your neighbor received toward the purchase of the Tesla in his garage came from the taxes on your purchase of fossil fuels for the internal combustion engine propelling your car.

    Here's where I want to touch on how this kind of move by government can have a cascading, detrimental impact on many other industries, not the least of which is the powersport and snowmobile tourism biz.

    It's no secret the number of gasoline retail outlets in pretty much every jurisdiction across North America is shrinking. In urban areas this isn't a problem but in the rural and isolated places we ride our sleds, it is already a problem.

    With an impending ban on gas powered on-road vehicles you can bet the number of gasoline retailers will shrink rapidly in Quebec, particularly in rural markets.

    Yes, there will be an aging fleet of gas-powered vehicles for at least a dozen years after the ban, however, the trend will be to reduce fuel distribution and increase electric re-charge locations.

    I need to say this about the ever-increasing predisposition of politicians to get ahead of themselves when it comes to electric transportation.

    The three critical barriers to widespread replacement of fossil fuels with electricity haven't changed in the last decade and frankly there hasn't been much progress on any of them.

    They are:

    1. Range
    2. Time to recharge
    3. Availability of recharge retailers

    For the record, we think the team at Taiga have been completely realistic with the development and targeted use of its new electric snowmobile models. Taiga is up front with its assertion its sleds are a better idea when it comes to rental fleets in places like West Yellowstone.

    Snowmobile rental units are used on a completely predictable daily route by rental operators. Even mountain sled rental riders would be able to spend a day on a deep snow Taiga and have enough power to get home.

    What isn't about to happen in our sport until progress is made with the aforementioned three barriers (all three, not just two or one), is widespread consumer acceptance of electric powered sleds.

    In the automotive world there are more than a few disillusioned electric car owners who have discovered they simply cannot get "there and back" without a hugely time consuming "fill up" with electricity. With an on-road electric vehicle the consequences of "running out" are relatively simple - get a tow to a charging station. With an off-road vehicle? Big trouble.

    For snowmobilers and pretty much all powersport enthusiasts who don't see themselves buying an electric powered off-road vehicle, Quebec's move to all electric powered cars will create havoc.

    With an inevitable reduction of gasoline retailers as a result of the sale of only electric cars, powersport enthusiasts will be stuck with carrying copious amounts of fuel when they ride in Quebec.

    For the record, there's no way a charging infrastructure supporting remote locations where off-road activity occurs year round, would be monetarily practical.

    The cost for Level 3 charging stations capable of recharging an electric snowmobile to 80 percent in approximately 45 minutes (this is the fastest system available for electric powered vehicles) is huge.

    Consider if just 5-percent of the sleds on trails in Quebec were electric powered. What would a local pit stop for lunch look like when six, eight or ten electric sleds needed charging to get home?

    Don't misinterpret what I'm saying here; I am in no way against electric powered snowmobiles. I think the integration of the current technology Taiga is pioneering and at the forefront of developing makes perfect sense. Ski-hill maintenance sleds, rental fleets and commercial operators like pole line and pipeline companies would all benefit from electric powered sleds.

    If the big three detractors to electric powered off-road vehicles can be eliminated in the next ten years, then integration, not legislation of these vehicles into the market can provide an interesting alternative to current internal combustion powered sleds, ATVs, SxS and dirt bikes.

    However, as it sits right now there's a ton of work necessary to take electric power to the consumer off-road marketplace.

    Yeah when they figure out an electric powered generator for when the hydro goes out as it does on a regular bases in my neck of Quebec, they will have discovered the age old quest for propetual motion.😁

  10. Quebec possibly banning gas powered sleds by 2035

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    39 minutes ago, zeusand said:

    Maybe by then they will improve Battery Technology to the point where the sled will get 200 miles without a recharge with the seat heater, heated grips, helmet plugged in, GPS ETC...w/ high beam on LOL.

    Yes and they will need to overcome the drop in battery performance due to the cold.

     It was pointed out to me that car manufacturers can always find room for places to stuff  more batteries and increase the bank size and range with in reason, but on a motorcycle or snowmobile the amount of space for larger battery banks will be more restricted. 

  11. Quebec possibly banning gas powered sleds by 2035

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I am pretty sure it will be a long way off for electric only sleds. First off the original announcement specified the ban will be new car sales, this does not address existing gas cars on the road at that time which probably will take years to eliminate. It also does not ban vehicles from out of province that run on gas so I don’t see a sudden drop in the number of gas stations come 2035. There also is a long way to go in improving battery life/ mileage per charge before off road vehicles or even motorcycles become practical. I just read a report by a guy testing out the new Harley live wire. He borrowed the bike from Harley for a 500 mile shake down cruise. While the estimated range for battery life was 180 miles, throw in speed head winds and hilly mountainous roads he was averaging 80 miles before needing to recharge and actually ran out of juice once a few miles before the next recharging station. He experienced waiting for a unoccupied charging station, sitting on the curb cooling his heels waiting for the bike to charge at others and the frustration of getting nowhere fast with all the stops. His round trip of 500 miles took him 31and a bit hrs and he commented that broken down he averaged 16 miles per hr fog the trip. Imagine doing that on a sled?, are they putting charging stations on trees? IMO a lot to iron out to be practical for off road vehicles so by the time it really effects snowmobiling many of us won’t be riding anymore.

     

  12. Where am I?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    13 hours ago, iceman said:

    Lost, Somewhere with wet feet. 

    The snow color looks like St Zenon. 

    Ok I’ll come clean, it’s not tug hill nor  St Zenon. This is a small trail that leads onto the lake I am on which in turn connects to the old 43 between Weir and Arundel. Full story: after a heavy mid winter rain and freeze up, my friend  jokingly asked my brother-in-law to go check on the trail and see if it was passable before my friend got up To his cottage for the weekend. We never thought my brother-in-law would take him seriously but the joke was on us. My brother-in-law not wanting to try with his machine kinda borrowed my friends ATV without permission since he wasn’t around and had left the keys in it. I got a text with this pic, I’m stuck, come get me! I had to come from my end on the lake by sled, pick up a very wet, freezing and muddy guy, take him home, dry him out and go back to haul the machine out. My friend got a text, trails open!

  15. Here is to hoping

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    27 minutes ago, Signfan said:

    I believe the flight thing is mainly for Canadians.  That saying doesn't mean it can't change.  They are saying the US will see the vaccine a month ahead of us up here.  I could see opening it up to anyone with proof of vaccination.  Canada has a vested interest in getting it opened back up.  Will hsve to be in a very scientific way though to gain approval of the public here.  Lots of folks have no interest in seeing it opened until a solution is implemented in the US.  It's not just the US either.  It's pretty much all countries that the border is closed to.

    I think your right, Legault certainly won’t be in a hurry to want the border opened up, we in Quebec For Christmas are allowed To have a maximum of 10 people gather for Christmas only during a 4 day period and are being asked to quarantine for a week in advance and a week after. Numbers are up and will certainly be up higher after Christmas. If Québecers are still dealing with these restrictions and no vaccine till later in the new year, I can see them being resentful big time if the gov starts opening up the border to non essential visitors.

  16. Saint Faustin Connector

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, sledfarmer said:

    This area affects me in a huge way and although I usually set cruise control around 140km/hr , I will be more than happy to ride the 9km at 10km/hr to ensure many years of passage . 😁

    Yeah I’m willing to ride slow through there for sure, now if they could just get the stretch from Tremblant to labelle open we would be in great shape. 

  17. Saint Faustin Connector

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I would have liked the trail to travel down the center median of the highway, higher cost is not an excuse compared to the fact that after all this money has been spent this section will always be a bone of contention for these residents and just a handful of throttle happy sleddders can potentially ruin it for everyone else. Ride slow and be respectful if you get to travel this section Please. Having said that, I find it ironic that a group of residents are fearful for their safety from snowmobiles crossing their driveways when in fact their   driveways enter directly onto a 2 lane highway with people passing on that highway dependant on those residents  vigilance For their safety. 

  18. registration plate fixture-UPDATE

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Placement of the registration plate has always seemed like getting too picky for nothing. That part of this document is really nothing new. On the rear / on the left rear part of the tunnel, It’s not like a cop is going to be able to read it on a moving sled. All registration checks obviously have to be done stopped and snow rubbed off to find it. On one of my older sleds I have the QC plate on the right And have been stopped numerous times, only once did an officer tell me it should be on the left, but went on to tell me since I already drilled holes for it, next sled I buy put it on the right. Last time I was stopped they didn’t even look or want to see the plate, where’s your pass?, you got mirrors, good, flash your break light for me, good, ok go. 

  22. Border Crossing Pool

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    6 hours ago, quebec bob said:

    Quebec has 132 new cases in a day, no better than any New England state, actually some in New England are better than that. Who really knows what January will bring. If it opens I will be one of the first ones over the border.

    Yeah it varies some days as low as 40-60 new cases BUT Kids are just going back to school now and already there has been a few cases linked to that, so unfortunately it is likely to rise as we get into fall here.

  24. Trail Permits

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    48 minutes ago, Signfan said:

    Anyone heard what Quebec is doing for permits and pricing this year?  Any new ideas?  Ontario just took a stab at it with sales planned to start a month earlier than other years and a promise of a rebate program should the system get shut-down due to Covid.

    https://www.ofsc.on.ca/2020/08/20/ofsc-announces-benefits-for-early-permit-buyers/

    Will be interesting to see how Quebec and New Brunswick go about their sales this year.

    I read that Ont press release today. The way I read it they want you to buy early $190 pass and if covid shuts the season down early you get a $50 credit for next year. Wonder worst case, covid shuts the season before it even starts Will it still only be a $50 credit?

    I haven’t heard of any news from FCMQ other than they cancelled their annual convention normally in September.

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