Green Grooming

By Harriet Wallis

On the outside, Alta's green snow groomer looks pretty much like the red ones in the fleet. It has a fierce-looking blade up front, a cab in the middle, and a corduroy-making tiller behind. But what's “under the hood” makes it special.

The green PistenBully 600 E+ is on the forefront of environmental kindness. It uses 20% less fuel and its carbon emissions are reduced by 20%. In addition, there's a major reduction in particles released. And it's also quieter. Those are significant factors because grooming operations go on all night, every night, all season long – manicuring the snow into fresh corduroy for skiers every morning.

The green groomer is called the E+ because it makes its own electricity. That electricity powers its work-horse equipment including its tank-like tracks and its huge corduroy-making tiller. It's a hybrid! And it's the world's first diesel-electric snow groomer.

“The 600 E+ is a step towards the future just as we are seeing with electric cars,” said Buck Boley, Alta's Director of Equipment Operations. “It’s a great snowcat and we are happy to have one.”

Alta got one of the very first PistenBully 600 E+ in the U.S. and it came from Peterson Equipment in Logan, Utah. The green groomer is one of Alta's many strategies to reduce the resort's environmental impact. Now, the demand for the 600 E+ is growing at other ski areas across the country.

Alta and Peterson have a lot in common. They're both giants in their fields. Alta, now in its 82nd year, has earned many awards for its environmental commitment and leadership. Last year Peterson, which has been in the groomer business for nearly 60 years, was named the top snow groomer dealer in North America.

Looking to the future, total electric groomers are being tested, but they're not yet ready for production. “When there's a new generation of snow groomers, Alta will have the opportunity to try one,” said Eric Kircher, a PistenBully Trainer and Technical Advisor.

The Nitty-gritty about the PistenBully 600 E+

• Where manufactured: Germany
• Engine: 6-cylinder Mercedes Benz
• Fuel & tank: 73 gallons, diesel
• Speed: 12 mph, continuously variable depending on the work it's doing
• Torque: Its electric motors have full torque as soon as they start to turn at very low engine rpm.
• Turning radius: On the spot
• Weight: About 10 tons
• Cost: About the same as a large house.