Sustainable Premiere: Xelom’s Electric Snow Cats In Deep-Snow Operation In Georgia

The Bolzano-based company xelom is delivering two fully electric Snow Cats to the Swiss company Powderproject.ch. This marks the start of the world’s first emission-free catskiing project in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains of Georgia – a milestone for more sustainable winter sports and environmentally conscious freeriding.

To mark its tenth anniversary, Powderproject.ch founder Ingo Schlutius is investing in both innovation and responsibility. His company has invested around one million euros in two fully electric Snow Cats from xelom, the South Tyrolean specialist for electric utility and snow vehicles. Starting this season, the two vehicles will take freeriders quietly, powerfully, and completely emission-free to elevations above 2,000 meters.

“For the first time, catskiing is possible electrically and almost silently – a pioneering step toward the future,” emphasizes Erich Gummerer, CEO of xelom. “With Powderproject.ch, we have found a partner who shares our vision of sustainable mountain mobility – bold, innovative, and with true pioneering spirit.”

The xelom Snow Cats deliver an impressive peak torque of 27,600 Nm and up to 700 horsepower – all without any local emissions. In operation, the vehicles offer a battery runtime of around seven hours. They are charged in Bakhmaro at a newly installed 300 kW fast-charging station, which recharges the batteries to 80 percent in just 50 minutes. The electricity used comes almost entirely from hydropower, creating a fully closed sustainability loop.

“For us, this is a real milestone. We want to take responsibility and demonstrate that sustainable winter sports are possible even in high alpine and remote terrain – without compromising the unique experience that makes catskiing so special,” says Ingo Schlutius, founder of Powderproject.ch.

“Of course, the electric drivetrain will be a completely new experience for us from a technical perspective,” he adds, “but we gladly embrace this challenge – not least because I am convinced that the future of catskiing belongs to electric motors.”

xelom develops and manufactures its vehicles in Bolzano – fully electric, energy-efficient, and with a strong focus on durability and resource conservation. The Snow Cat is the first snow grooming vehicle designed from the ground up as an electric machine. It enables emission-free slope maintenance, reduces operating costs, and significantly lowers maintenance requirements. With projects like the one in Georgia, xelom proves that sustainable high-performance vehicles are no longer a vision of the future – they are already a reality.

“This project demonstrates what is possible when innovation meets conviction,” says Gummerer. “The fact that our Snow Cats are now being used in one of Europe’s most remote mountain regions is a striking example of how technology and sustainability can go hand in hand.”

xelom is an innovative company based in Bolzano, Italy, and part of the internationally active TechnoAlpin Holding. As a specialist in sustainable mobility, xelom develops fully electric vehicles for challenging terrain. With over 30 employees and the world’s largest development team for electric snow grooming vehicles, the company is among the pioneers of its industry. Through its solutions, xelom is actively shaping the future of emission-free mobility.

In February 2016, Ingo Schlutius, the German founder of Powderproject.ch, explored the freeride terrain around the uninhabited winter mountain village of Bakhmaro for the first time. Today, ten years later, his catskiing company is the largest in Europe – a true success story that now continues with the two electric Snow Cats. With this step, Powderproject.ch will not only operate more sustainably but also set an example of innovation and responsibility in mountain tourism.