The Problem
Our family has property in Ontario on the Canadian Shield. If you’ve spent time in this part of the country you know what that means: exposed bedrock, uneven ground, steep slopes, trees growing straight out of solid rock, and leaf or snow covered terrain that hides everything underneath.
It’s beautiful. It’s also brutal to work on.
This is a typical section of the property. What looks like a gentle slope is actually a minefield of exposed rock ledges, root systems, and soft spots. Hauling anything heavy across this — firewood, tools, landscaping materials — is a constant challenge.
Our Dream Homestead Tool
A utility carrier that can:
- Handle Canadian Shield terrain — rocks, roots, slopes, soft ground
- Carry 200–250 kg of payload without tipping or bogging
- Pull stumps via a front winch
- Move slowly and safely around kids, dogs, and other obstacles
- Follow me around the property autonomously, or safely come to me at the touch of a button
- Fit in the back of our Model Y so I can bring it wherever it is needed
- Is quiet and clean to operate (no IC engine)
- Functions as a mobile power station with 120 V AC
That’s E-Yor.
Inspiration
Some commercially available products do exist — but they’re expensive (typically $20,000+). They also tend to be gasoline powered, and I really want to extend my knowledge of electric drivetrains, lithium-ion batteries, and robotic navigation.
The Ferocarrier is probably the closest thing to what I have in mind — a tracked utility carrier with a flat bed, designed for job site work. Low, wide, stable, but with limited ground clearance.
The Muck Truck is another one I looked at. It’s a walk-behind dumper, 4WD, designed for moving material across sites where a wheelbarrow won’t cut it. But it requires an operator walking behind it the whole time, and I’m not sure it would handle the our rocky terrain very well. It’s also quite expensive, and finding a dealer that carrys the electric version has been challenging in our area.
And then there are mini skid steers and mini excavators — versatile, powerful, genuinely capable on rough ground. But they’re large, require a trailer to transport, and are overkill for what I need. I want something that fits in the back of a Model Y.
None of them quite fit. So I thought — I’ll build it myself.