BRP-Rotax is a big player in the world of skidoos and jet skis. Because electric mobility is also moving into the power sports sector, the engine manufacturer from Gunskirchen is challenged. How do you shape change? Boss Wolfgang Rapberger and his team are already achieving the first visible successes.
Snow or water – it doesn’t matter what type of surface you’re sporting on, BRP-Rotax is indispensable. The engine manufacturer from Gunskirchen has a market share of more than 60 percent for skidoos and jet skis, making it the clear number one. The company managed by Wolfgang Rapberger is also indispensable for ultralight aircraft and go-karts. “From water to snow, with or without turbo – we have an unbelievable variety of variants and can manage this complexity,” enthuses the manager, who is the boss of around 1700 employees at the location not far from Wels alone impressive: In the previous year, the company, which is part of the Canadian BRP group, increased its sales to 1.25 billion euros. In addition to Gunskirchen, there is a plant in Querétaro/Mexico with a further 1000 employees, plus locations in Hong Kong and Kottingbrunn. A third of the engineers already have a focus on e-mobility. With his team, Rapberger has long been looking ahead. The change in mobility is also driving BRP-Rotax. “The journey continues,” says Rapberger. A third of the 350 engineers in development are already working in the field of e-mobility. Right before the pandemic, the engine manufacturer presented a hydrogen snow sled, the first zero-emission snow vehicle. Now it’s a matter of launching battery-electric Skidoos. “They’re ideal for Finland, where there’s less uphill and downhill, there you can use them for snow sled safaris,” says Rapberger. Development is also underway for a motorcycle.
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