so this is as good a place as any to drop this nuttiness. I have a 3 phase ac electric motor drive controller and charger for a solectria force. When Yellow stone waged their zero emissions plan I intended to electrify a tucker kitten. batteries in the pontoons, out with the 10HP anglia motor, in with the driver, motor and charger. ( this plan was plan B for I doubted I could save the engine ) every one discusses the distance travelled as MILES, but the answer is Ah. energy conversion is not a new principle. I could travel 40 miles at 70 MPH or 70 miles at 40 MPH on valve regulated lead acid batteries. ( 12 KW ) the multicell packs of today have some advantages, but cold is not one of them. the large cats using the diesel electric propulsion systems have some merit with the application of high immediate torque at low rpm. but energy is energy. the more times you convert it the more parisitic loss you create.
I felt carrying the charger was not needed.
I determined I did not need heat
I started designing modular battery banks
I fit up the motor including the necessary reduction gears
I felt the regenerative braking energy could be used for heat or simply recharging the pack.
I did an analysis on the demand and realized there was very little places I could take the rig where I could have the support to get back.
think this part through. to charge at camp, I had PV, Converting dc to ac. AC ran the charger to convert back to DC, The absorbtion phase of the charge cycle has to be reduced to not bake the batteries- as they would be cold while trying to initialize
I looked at a DC series parallel arrangement where maybe I could stay DC, but the motor came free about then. I put the effort into saving the anglia 10HP motor. the electric components just sit.
I did not abandon this idea. I just came to the realization that like Henry fords wife, ( she drove and electric car ) I was not over coming the scarsity of fuel. I am not reducing emissions to a significant extent. the carbon burden to the earth is another debate.
I tend to think DC traction motors are the way to propel a snow cat. no regenerative braking, but the reduction in energy conversions, and not needing gear reduction unit might yield a less carbon infused build.
You mentioned fuel cell and SW48
The fuel cell is a great activity in physics as well. most folks dismiss the inputs on this process as well. it takes a lot of energy to split water apart. Wood gas is more volatile than hydrogen in a given state. ( don't be scared )
sw48 is a through the snow not over the snow cat. find something lighter and not planetary driven. snow tracs and tuckers have the most direct drives, go light as possible.