Take a moment to thank the great state of California for shaming the rest of us.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) sets the highest standards for off-road engine emissions compliance in the country. I had no idea that a 600cc snowmobile pollutes as much NOx as 100 cars! I bet you didn’t either — but there’s an EPA website full of this data if you care to get a little nerdy.
So! In addition to donating to Protect Our Winters (POW!) the next best way you can save the future of snowsports is to give up the gas and jump on one of these electric winter wunder-machines.
10 Electric Winter Fun Machines
Moonbikes
I can’t help but think of 1970s Roger Moore as James Bond when I see these. Moonraker, anyone?
I digress. Moonbike isn’t a movie prop. Developed high in the French Alps, it can actually hold its own on a mountainside. Its 26 mph top speed is nothing to sneeze at, and with two batteries you can ride up to 3 hours at a time.
At $8,900, it bills itself as a serious mountain tool for fun-lovers, backcountry skiers, and even rescue teams. We got our hands on one to find out. Check out our Moonbike review here:
Motowinch
No mountain? No problem. Motowinch will make any snow-covered field your new winter playground.
Motowinch is an electric motorized winch that pulls you as if being towed behind a snowmobile — only you control the amount of pull with a “smarthandle,” and you don’t have to inhale two-stroke fumes!
The best part is you can do this 100% solo, as it is portable and comes with its own lithium battery pack. The only things you’ll miss are the lift lines!
You could buy a lot of lift tickets for the same $4,745, but the motowinch is also a summer tow tool as well. It can make any lake, beach, or waterway a new surf destination.
DTV Electric Shredder
What’s better than a Segway with wheels? A Segway with tank treads!
DTV recently released an electric version of the “Shredder” that can run up to 2 hours. Twin 20kW output motors propel the 250-pound sled up to 30 mph. With that much weight, I’m curious how it handles deep powder, but it is a versatile year-round all-conditions utility vehicle.
The DTV Electric Shredder starts at $8,999, and DTV is taking preorders now.
Light Electric Timbersled
Light-electric dirt bikes from oddball brands like “Surron” and “Talaria” are popular. Even the Segway brand is jumping on the trend. They’re selling like hotcakes, and it didn’t take long for opportunist winter hooligans to make a timber-sled kit for these beasts.
However, you’ve got to remember that tracks use 225% more energy than tires on dirt. That probably means less than 20 miles range on one of these tracked light-electric dirt bikes. The Snow-Ron Continuous track kit weighs nearly 100 pounds, which also doesn’t help range.
A full track kit ($2,185), plus bike, plus power upgrade (required) will probably set you back $7,000-9,000, but you can always put the wheels back on for brown-pow summer fun!
Taiga Nomad Electric Snowmobile
Nomad is the real deal, a no-compromises snow machine. Just be prepared for short trips — it tops out at 62 miles of range. Taiga, based in Montreal, knows how to have fun with electric. They’re also responsible for the first electric PWC, the “Orca.”
Fortunately, these electrified toys come standard with Level 3 Fast-Charge capability. Just a 40-minute hot cocoa break is all you need to “refuel.” The Nomad can rip with 90kW (120 horsepower) peak output, and on a home charger, it takes 3.5 hours for a full charge.
The Taiga Nomad starts at $17,490.
We even spent some time on one in the mountains. Read our full review here:
Sunrise All-Terrain eScooter
This pint-sized snow machine is another transformer that can play in both winter and summer if you swap out the wheels. The snow track kit from Sunrise looks ambitious, but with a 2,000W motor, it should have the guts to push you. The Sunrise All-Terrain eScooter is capable of 40 mph with wheels and “up to” 21 mph on snow. No range has been given yet.
Sunrise is an e-bike and scooter company based in Boise, Idaho. Preorders are open for the Sunrise All-Terrain eScooter, and at $2,589, it’s the cheapest option on our list.
Envo Electric SnowKart
“For snow lovers of all ages,” the Envo SnowKart sure looks like a mobility scooter with tank treads. These Canadian-built “karts” are your fast track to pasties and butter tarts when the lake freezes over!
The Envo Electric SnowKart is good for a blistering 12 mph and up to 2 hours of run time. For the $5,879 it costs, it might bring out the kid in anyone!
ENVO FLEX SnowBike
A lighter and less expensive option is Envo’s FLEX SnowBike. It’s an all-mountain e-bike with a track conversion in the rear. You can use this machine year-round if you swap the track and ski for wheels.
At $4,200, it seems like a fair deal for year-round zero-emissions fun. Flex advertises 15-50 km of range depending on how much grunt work you put into those pedals. The videos of the flex in action look about as mellow as a mobility scooter, but it would be a great tool for hauling your friends up a sledding hill!
PistenBully 100 E
Who hasn’t dreamed of driving a snowcat? Now you can groom your private trails emissions-free.
The PistenBully brand has been manufacturing snow machines in Germany since the 1960s. For their 50th anniversary, in 2019, they announced the fully electric version of the PistenBully 100. The 100 E tops out at 20 kph (12.5 mph) and can run for up to 3 hours before recharge on its 126 kWh battery.
Contact PistenBully for pricing and build times, but don’t expect this serious machine to come cheap.
Porsche Taycan
Ready for a torque versus winter showdown? Levi, Finland, is the place. The Porsche Taycan is the weapon of choice. The Porsche Ice Experience is the program.
This high-performance training school will have you grinning sideways on frozen plains and dense pine forests. Naturally, as a Porsche experience, you’ll spend your evenings in fine Scandinavian resorts basking in panoramic saunas under the northern lights, sipping aquavit next to Santa Claus, and watching his reindeer waltz by.
