Boyne Resorts rely on the PistenBully 600 E+ for sustainable slope maintenance

Boyne Resorts encompasses 10 ski resorts across North America and has even more adventure destinations in its portfolio. Boyne also boasts the largest fleet of PistenBully 600 E+ snow groomers in North America, a machine they consider crucial to their success. Jeremy Cooper, Vice President of Mountain Sports Development, discusses the more than 30-year relationship with PistenBully and Boyne Resorts' sustainability goals for the future.

What motivated Boyne Resorts to invest in a large fleet of PistenBully E+ machines?

Boyne Resorts recently launched a project called "Forever Project" for 2030. We are aiming to achieve net-zero/carbon neutrality by 2030. The PistenBully 600 E+ machines will contribute to this goal. We are working intensively to switch to renewable diesel at all our resorts.

What feedback have you received from your operators and teams working with the PistenBully E+?

The PistenBully 600 E+ is a workhorse that just keeps going and going. I always joke that with the throttle locked, the machine wouldn't stop until it fell into the sea. Power and torque are huge advantages, but the combination of diesel and electric is truly unique. For our team, it's not just the efficiency and sustainability that are important, but also the fact that the machine itself has so much power – just like electric cars, which have instant torque and high horsepower.

What other PistenBully tools or technologies contribute to the success of the PistenBully 600E+?

As conditions become more variable and unpredictable each year, we need to be more efficient in producing and using snow. That's why all vehicles at our ski resorts – Brighton Resort, Loon Mountain, Sunday River, Big Sky, The Highlands, Summit at Snoqualmie, and Cypress Mountain – are equipped with SnowSat. At Boyne, I'd even say SnowSat is practically a snowmaking machine in itself. It allows us to work much more efficiently and avoid wasting water and resources.

Snoqualmie is a good example of this. Two PistenBully 600 E+ snow groomers operate there. Two years ago, everything suddenly melted at once. But thanks to SnowSat, every centimeter of snow in Snoqualmie was exactly where it was needed, with almost uniform coverage, thus saving the season.

How do you think electric slope maintenance will affect the future of your ski resorts?

This will definitely be part of our Forever project at Boyne Resorts. Electric snow groomers like the PistenBully 600 E+ will become increasingly efficient. Given the pursuit of greater environmental friendliness and sustainability, we are paying close attention to this issue. This is certainly the future. Hybrid or fully electric machines are the direction we are heading.