Snowmobiles powered by combustion engines causes noise and emissions that negatively affect both the drivers and the environment. Electric powered snowmobiles have no engine related emissions, and in line with other electric vehicles likely lower noise emissions. Earlier trials, e.g. 2011 in Östersund, have shown that the technology was immature. Electric snowmobiles that seems to be capable of meeting current requirements of professional use has been manufactured since a couple years ago, but there is still a need to analyse if electric snowmobiles during professional use in a Swedish alpine environment could be a strategic sustainable solution and if they are competitive compared to current snowmobiles.

In collaboration with partners from alpine ski- and tourist facilities in Sweden, the SustainTrans research group has handed in an application to the Swedish Energy Agency to find out how electric snowmobiles function and are interpreted during professional use at alpine ski- and tourist facilities, sustainability effects, and strategies and solutions for a large introduction in Swedish alpine areas could be done in a sustainable way.

Photo by iCATpro. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ICATpro13_ZE_elektrisches_Schneemobil.JPG