A tourist company in northern Finland is testing the first ever electric snowmobile this winter. – A cross-country skipper puffing his way uphill makes more sound than this electric snowmobile, says Jyrki Niva, head of Lapland Safaris, interviewed by Helsinki Sanomat.
Lapland Safaris is the largest organiser of snowmobile safaris in northern Finland. Last winter, some 100,000 winter tourist drove or were passengers on the company’s snowmobiles.
The challenge is that many of the winter tourists are coming to experience the silence of nature. The traditional snowmobiles both make a lot of noise and smell petrol.
The snowmobile to be tested this winter works well for a typical three hour safari of about 20 kilometres.
The test project is funded by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (TEKES).
