Electric powersports company Taiga has been developing some top-shelf, all-electric personal watercraft and snowmobiles in recent years, but it’s about to make even bigger waves (Ha!) in the powersports business thanks to a $50 million raise in support of a new production facility in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. The project represents an investment of approximately $125.17 million (Canadian) in government funding. That’s $10M from the federal government of Canada, $30M from the province, and another $10M in municipal funding.
“Our government is supporting the country’s businesses as they become global leaders in the manufacture of green vehicles, creating dependable jobs,” says the Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for Saint Maurice Champlain and Canadian minister of innovation, science, and industry. “Taiga Motors’ arrival in the Mauricie region is a key part of our efforts to enable the region to participate fully in the economic recovery by showcasing local talent.”
All of which is, you know, good. But let’s not forget what’s getting Taiga all this awesome news in the first place: its awesome electric products!
180 HP Taiga Orca Sport PWC
That’s the Taiga Orca Sport PWC up there. When I first covered the ski, I wrote that “it packs a 180 HP electric motor, a 65 MPH top speed, and plenty of hoon-tastic torque to help PWC enthusiasts get into all sorts of trouble.” With the new factory in place, the price should drop a bit, too — to something a tick or two below US$15,000. And that, dear friends, will sell a ton of these.
With similar power and torque, the Taiga electric snowmobiles should sell pretty quick, too. And, if you believe the company spokespeople, they’ll have no trouble keeping up with demand.
“This factory will allow Taiga to become the first Canadian EV manufacturer to integrate both automated powertrain assemblies and electric vehicle platforms under one roof for greatly increased efficiency,” says Samuel Bruneau, CEO and one of the co-founders of Taiga. “Thanks to the financing provided by the federal, provincial and municipal governments, we will be able to rapidly increase manufacturing capacity while continuing to drive innovation so that Quebec and Canada can remain leaders disrupting the global powersports market towards a more positive future of outdoor exploration without compromise.”
Once fully operational, it’s claimed that Taiga’s new facility will have an annual production capacity of up to 80,000 units and 3 gigawatt-hours in battery pack and module production. The facility is scheduled to go online in 2022.
Source | Images: Taiga, via PRN.
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