Despite what you may have heard, the world is likely still going electric. Yes, things have changed due to the current U.S. administration, but the U.S. is not the sole country in the world. And everyone else, including the biggest markets on the planet, markets that are bigger than the U.S. by a long ways, are still going electric. For U.S. and global companies to stay competitive, electricity cannot be stopped.
So when RideApart reports on future electric vehicles within the powersports space, we're looking at the long-term, not the short-term or short view that U.S. administrations tend to see. And in those views, much of the powersports world is ahead of the curve, or at least attempting to be as best they can.
Which is why when I went deep diving into the U.S. Patent Office's website, I found this particularly interesting patent from Ski-Doo, the folks who make some of the gnarliest backcountry mountain sleds on the planet. Now, the brand already has an electric snowmobile, but that one is made for the trail. This sled, this particular patent, however, looks to be the first-ever all-electric mountain sled in the visage of the Summit I rode last year and the year before.
Who's ready to shred powder in silence?
So, from the patent's title, you probably wouldn't jump to the conclusion that I did, as it's fairly innocuous. Titled "Spacers For Mounting A Battery Pack To A Subframe Of An Electric Snowmobile," you'd be hard-pressed to believe it's anything but just a simple part that'd go to whatever already in production electric snowmobile. But you'd be wrong.
If you dive into the drawings for the associated patent, not only do you get some with the brand's all-electric Origin motorcycle, but you get what is clearly a mountain sled, i.e. sleek, long, narrow, and with the tell-tale cockpit and handlebars that only fits with backcountry powder activities. I mean, just look at the drawings and then compare it to Ski-Doo's Summit, Freeride, and Backcountry.
Queue up "They're the same picture" gif from The Office.
Not much besides that can be gleaned from Ski-Doo's patent, as the description states, "Many recent vehicles are powered by one or more electric motors instead of an internal combustion engine. Over the life of a vehicle, an electric vehicle will typically pollute less than a comparable vehicle having an internal combustion engine. Electric vehicles also tend to be quieter than their gas-powered counterparts. Snowmobiles could also benefit from these advantages of having an electric motor. However, due to the relatively small size of a snowmobile, the need for the snowmobile to float over snow, and the lack of charging infrastructures in many areas where snowmobiles are used, the electrification of snowmobiles has many challenges not faced by other vehicles such as cars."
What we do know is that Ski-Doo already sells an electric snowmobile with the Grand Touring and Expedition models. Likewise, Ski-Doo's parent company, BRP, is pushing more electrification across, especially now that it's back producing motorcycles. But when will we see this particular EV mountain sled? Well, that's anyone's guess.
Despite what I said in the introduction to be fully true and manufacturers tending to have a longer view than U.S. administrations, current tariff threats and incentives being killed could see them hold the launch until more favorable economic weather. We'll just have to wait and see.
