Arctic Cat Adds Fuel Injection to Four-Stroke Prototype Snowmobile Testing in Yellowstone National Park.

Business Editors

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2000

Snowmobile manufacturer Arctic Cat Inc., announced today that it is testing the next generation of an environmentally-friendly four-stroke prototype snowmobile. The newest four-stroke prototype is equipped with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and a weight-reducing aluminum block.

The EFI-equipped prototype represents the next phase in a testing program that began earlier this year, when Arctic Cat became the first manufacturer to loan carbureted four-stroke snowmobiles to the National Park Service for use in Yellowstone National Park. The latest prototype model is on loan to West Yellowstone Arctic Cat, a dealership which guides snowmobile tours in and around Yellowstone National Park.

"Our tour guides are using the EFI four-stroke snowmobile in the park," said dealership owner Bill Howell. "Its performance has been exceptional. The four-stroke design is ideal for Yellowstone use because it runs significantly cleaner and quieter. With the addition of EFI, we're getting improved gas mileage, which reduces emissions even further."

The four-stroke EFI engine is 65 percent more fuel-efficient than standard two-stroke snowmobile engines. It uses regular unleaded gasoline.

"We get between 20 and 25 miles per gallon from the EFI prototype sled," said Howell. "In a comparable two-stroke sled we usually get between 13 and 15 miles per gallon."

The EFI four-stroke prototype uses a 660cc liquid-cooled engine, which produces about 40 horsepower. The operating speed range, at Yellowstone's 7,000-foot altitude, is 35 to 55 miles per hour, which is 5 miles per hour faster than the carbureted four-stroke prototypes.

"The reduced noise and emission levels of the four-stroke prototypes have generated a great response from the National Park Service in Yellowstone," said Chris Twomey, chief executive officer, Arctic Cat. "With the addition of EFI, Arctic Cat is taking the four-stroke snowmobile to the next level. We're committed to developing a snowmobile that will fit well in environmentally sensitive areas, while still maintaining many of the performance characteristics that customers have come to expect from Arctic Cat's two-stroke snowmobiles."

Arctic Cat is an industry leader in applying EFI to two-stroke engines, and is the first major snowmobile manufacturer to unveil a working four-stroke snowmobile with EFI. The EFI design eliminates jetting associated with optimizing carbureted engines according to temperature and altitude conditions. The aluminum engine block is lighter and sits more upright, which improves handling by taking additional weight off of the skis.

Arctic Cat Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) under the Arctic Cat brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories.