BY KAREN BOSSICK

North America’s first fully electric Nordic snow cat will soon be laying down corduroy on the Nordic trails in Quigley Canyon.

The Blaine County Recreation District’s new PistenBully 100e is 100 percent emission-free. It’s quieter than traditional gas-powered PistenBully machines, eliminating noise pollution. And there are no exhaust emissions to contend with.

The machine features three electric motors, which replace the hydrostatic drive and drive of the tiller. The minimum charging time is two hours at 150kW SoC. It can drive up to three hours at speeds up to 20 kilometers or 12 miles per hour.

BCRD operatives have been considering adding an all-electric vehicle to their fleet for a couple years but had to ensure that such a machine would charge well in cold environments, along with other considerations.

BCRD raised funds from the Nordic skiing community to purchase the new first-of-its-kind PistenBully 100e. Peterson Equipment and PistenBully helped the dream become reality, said Eric Rector, director of trails for BCRD.

“Our community is passionate about Nordic skiing,” Rector said. “BCRD works hard to maintain the best ski surface possible. We are proud and excited to add the PistenBully 100e to our fleet, furthering our commitment to move our grooming fleet into the future.”

The BCRD grooms 160 kilometers of trails for up to six months of the year.