Leading the Charge
Range Rover & SHARP
Taiga Motors is on a mission to revolutionize the $50-billion world of motorized power sports, with cutting-edge electric snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
The company was founded in 2015 by Sam Bruneau, Paul Achard and Gabriel Bernatchez, three engineering graduates from McGill University. They initially faced scepticism from potential investors due to their inexperience and their ambitious goal of creating the world’s first electric snowmobile, but they’ve been hard at work over the last decade proving the doubters wrong.
Taiga’s vision goes beyond performance; it’s about preserving the environment for future generations.
“Taiga began with the mission for a non-polluting snowmobile — non-polluting in every sense: smell, exhaust, noise,” explains co-founder Paul Achard, Taiga’s VP of Engineering. Zero emissions, he says, are crucial when it comes to maintaining access to trails and waterways, which are increasingly restricted due to pollution and noise concerns.
“Electric snowmobiles and watercrafts could help ensure the continuation of the sport — a way forward where powersports can evolve in a collective effort to preserve our winters.”
Taiga’s focus on electric off-roaders stems from a desire to minimize environmental impact while maximizing enjoyment. “We started wondering why nobody was working to electrify these off-road vehicles. It just makes so much sense for them to be electric,” Achard recalls.
By providing a fully electric experience, Taiga allows riders to “move through nature with minimum disruption and maximum excitement,” aligning with the evolving demands of the powersports market.
Initially headquartered in an apartment, Taiga now operates from a 50,000-square-foot R&D/assembly plant in Montreal. It plans to build a new plant capable of producing 60,000 vehicles annually by 2025.
Achard highlights the transformative potential of Taiga’s line of electric snowmobiles — including the Nomad, Atlas and Ekko. “It’s not just an electric snowmobile,” he says, “it’s pushing the experience forward. It gives riders what they expect — towing capacity, power, strength — but then gives more — technology, design, aesthetics, high performance — all without exhaust fumes and noise.”
The Nomad offers a 90 kW tractive unit, 100-kilometre range, 120 horsepower and a towing capacity of 1,125 pounds. Equipped with automotive-standard J1772 connector ports and built for all-weather usage, recharging is simple. (With standard Level 1, Level 2 and optional Level 3 charging, the platform easily integrates with existing electric vehicle charging networks.)
The Atlas, meanwhile, is designed for versatile on-and-off trail riding, and enhances control with a fine-tuned suspension and easy charging capabilities.
The company has also designed the world’s first mass-production electric personal watercraft. The Orca looks to set a new standard in water sports, offering a 120 kW electric tractive unit, 160 horsepower and up to two hours of range. You can plug into any standard electrical socket or home-based Level 2 charger, but it also comes with optional Level 3 charging capabilities.
The special edition Orca Carbon, meanwhile, features a carbon fibre hull which makes it ride a little firmer — “think high-end vehicle suspensions that are stiff,” explains Achard, “putting more emphasis on the driver’s talent. That, along with the hydrodynamic shape, gives the hull an ability to grip the water with a very direct feel to the waves.”
Perhaps more than anything, Taiga’s innovative design and engineering demonstrate the places you can go when you start from an innovative and ambitious idea. “When Taiga began, it really started from a clean sheet design,” says Achard. “This meant we could take risks and explore what worked best for the technology.”
Explore More Range Rover & SHARP Content
