Xelom electric snowcat photo Powderproject.ch
Climate change affects freeride skiing as well as everyone Cat skiing with diesel-powered snowcats contributes to the problem. Now the Swiss ski travel company Powderproject.ch joins forces with the Italian cat producer Xelom. Together they offer the world’s first emission-free cat skiing and freeride operator. Starting in Georgia in December 2025.
This marks the tenth anniversary of Ingo Schlutius’s business, a German-born pioneer of cat skiing in Georgia. With his Powderproject.ch he has established a new standard for sustainable freeride skiing.
Two electric-powered snowcats from the Bolzano-based manufacturer Xelom will transport international freeride skiers and snowboarders to the snowy slopes of the Lesser Caucasus this season.
This is not happening in the Alps or the Rocky Mountains, but in the remote mountain village of Bakhmaro, located at an altitude of around 2,000 meters in the Lesser Caucasus. With this, a new era of freeride is about to begin. An era with smaller footprints on Mother Earth.
One million Euro investment
Ingo Schlutius has invested around one million euros in two unique and fully electrically powered snowcats from the company Xelom. With this investment, Powderproject.ch becomes the first company worldwide to use electric snowcats for freeride cat skiing.
Until now, cat skiing operations around the world have relied exclusively on diesel-powered vehicles.
With this joint venture, Powderproject.ch and Xelom are indeed breaking new ground.
In November, the two electric snowcats will be delivered from Bolzano to Bakhmaro. Designed with passenger cabins carrying up to twelve freeride skiers comfortably. Quiet without emissions into the backcountry.
The Xelom e-Cats deliver a peak torque of 27,600 Newton meters. Providing full power instantly.
The expected operational range for passenger transport is seven hours per charge.
A 300 kW charging station enables the batteries to reach 80% capacity in just 50 minutes. Electricity supplied in Bakhmaro is generated almost exclusively from hydropower.
“We want to take responsibility and show that sustainable winter sports are possible even in high-alpine and remote terrain. Without sacrificing the unique adventure that makes cat skiing so special.”
Says Ingo Schlutius and continues“I’m convinced that the future of cat skiing is electric.”
Erich Gummerer, founder of Xelom, is without a doubt proud of his snowcats. “Making freeride cat skiing emission-free is a groundbreaking step into the future.”
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