It’s very likely that we’ll be seeing electric personal watercraft enter the mainstream market in the next 2-3 years, and leading that charge is Canadian powersports brand Taiga Motors. Last year, Taiga shook the PWC industry with the reveal of its Orca prototype. Slightly larger than a Sea-Doo Spark, Taiga’s Orca is poised to be world’s first production emissions-free watercraft.
Available in 3 tiers of performance – Sport, Performance and Carbon – the three Orca models range in top speed, battery life and weight, and of course, asking price. Yet, the freshest bit of news is Taiga’s recent partnership with ABB, a company who develops high speed charging stations. As The Watercraft Journal discussed in a recent YouTube Live session, the biggest hurdle for electric PWC is not so much getting the ski to work itself, but building an infrastructure to keep them charged.
In a recent press release, Taiga announced its partnership with ABB and its cooperation in building wallbox charging stations for the brand’s electric powersport vehicles. Here’s the full release:
Global e-mobility leader ABB has partnered with Taiga Motors, maker of electric powersports vehicles, to expand sustainability to off-road vehicles across North America and Europe. ABB will offer its safe, reliable and compact Terra AC wallbox and Terra DC wallbox charging stations.
The global powersports market delivered record-breaking sales this year and is expected to continue growing rapidly with a compound annual growth rate at over 6% between 2020 and 2026 according to Global Market Insights1. But this growth may take an environmental toll because snowmobiles are one of the few vehicles that do not require a catalytic converter, a device that reduces the amount of harmful pollutants from a vehicle. The absence of this converter leads to disproportionate emission levels to the point where electrifying one snowmobile can have the same environmental impact as electrifying more than forty cars.
Canada-based Taiga Motors is heralding a new era of electrification for off-road vehicles with the world’s first production electric snowmobiles and personal watercrafts. By eliminating noise pollution and reducing the vehicles’ environmental impact, this partnership leads the way to a sustainable future at a time when countries have increased regulations at national parks, lakes and trails worldwide.
ABB will enable Taiga Motors to bring reliable and effective charging solutions to its customers. For recreational vehicles, the two key factors are ensuring power and performance, which are both fulfilled by Taiga Motors’ electric offerings that feature more torque and faster acceleration.
ABB lays the foundations for a future of safe, smart, and sustainable mobility, accessible by everyone, everywhere by providing charging solutions that meet the needs of the next generation of electric
vehicles. Its e-mobility solutions form an important part of ABB Electrifications ‘Mission to Zero’
initiative, which supports carbon reduction with solutions which use less and cleaner energy.
This partnership will encourage adoption of EVs across North America and Europe by making it easier for recreational riders and fleet operators to charge their off-road vehicles at marinas, ski resorts, popular trails, and even remote riding areas such as the mountainous backcountry. ABB’s charging stations, designed to work in harsh weather conditions, are a perfect fit as these vehicles will be operated in some of the most extreme environments.
Since entering the EV charging space nearly a decade ago, ABB has driven sustainable transportation forward having sold more than 17,000 DC fast chargers in over 80 countries across the world. With its entry into the electric off-road vehicles charging, ABB remains committed to driving innovation in the sector.
“We are excited to play an integral role in making the rollout of the world’s first off-road vehicles a
success while reinforcing our commitment to sustainability,” said Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB’s global business for E-mobility Infrastructure Solutions.
“We envision a future where riders can explore the great outdoors without transporting fuel. Renewable powered batteries can be placed in remote areas to provide off-grid charging, so adventurers can simply plug in and go further than ever before,” said Samuel Bruneau, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Taiga Motors.
Taiga Motors will begin delivery of its electric snowmobiles for fleets this winter season and will
increase next fall. Deliveries of its Orca electric personal watercrafts will begin next year during spring. This partnership will support the transition to more sustainable outdoor adventures by providing a turnkey solution to customers.
This all seems like “pie in the sky” to me when you consider all of the hurdles of practicality. It’ll be many years before electrified PWC’s will be an affordable and practical alternative, if ever at all. In the meantime, speaking of something practical, why don’t you guys start making plans to do a comparo between the new GP1800 and the RXPX? You know, something cool as you’ve done in the past.