Polaris Frontier Snowmobile with 4-Stroke Engine Earns U.S. Interior Department Certification For `Best Available Technology'
MEDINA, Minn.--Oct. 2, 20040, 2004--| Interior Sec. Gale Norton Lauds Polaris During Visit to Company HQ |
Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton announced the Polaris Frontier Touring snowmobile featuring the company's 4-stroke engine technology has been certified as meeting Best Available Technology (BAT) standards required for snowmobiles operated in select National Parks.
Norton made the announcement during an October 12 visit to the Polaris corporate headquarters in Medina. The newly certified 2005 Polaris Frontier Touring is the sixth 4-stroke-powered Polaris model to earn BAT certification.
Snowmobiles must be BAT-certified to meet new, more-stringent noise and pollution requirements that take effect this winter in Yellowstone National Park. Rules regarding snowmobile use in selected National Parks remain in flux, but BAT certification will likely also be required for snowmobiles operated in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway.
"We are proud to have earned the BAT certification for our 2005 Frontier Touring and we continue in our pursuit to develop even more efficient 4-stroke snowmobile engine technology," said Polaris President and CEO Tom Tiller. "As snowmobilers, we cherish the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and we treat treasured environments such as Yellowstone National Park with the respect they deserve."
Norton echoed those sentiments when she told a group at Polaris headquarters, "We believe that our national treasures should be, and can be, enjoyed by citizen stewards. While recreation should never become a cover for abuse, access to national parks must not be abolished."
When compared to snowmobiles powered by traditional carbureted 2-stroke engines, the approved Polaris models with 4-stroke engines reduce hydrocarbon emissions by at least 90 percent. They also reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 70 percent and produce sound levels at full throttle of no more than 73 decibels.
Other Polaris snowmobiles models that were previously certified and continue to meet BAT requirements include the Frontier Touring of model years 2002 through 2004 and the Frontier Classic of 2003 and 2004.
Along with praising Polaris for its environmentally friendly engine technology, Norton commended the company for helping to build a strong regional economy. She noted that Polaris currently employs over 3,800 people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota, and will create new jobs when it opens its new technology and engineering center in Wyoming, Minnesota, in the spring of 2005.
"Polaris has not only benefited Minnesotans, it has benefited citizens all across this country who live for winter and love to see our national treasures decorated with snow," she said. "That implicit partnership symbolizes the same sort of partnerships that President Bush and I want to continue to build all across this country. We believe that economic prosperity and environmental protection go hand in hand. We are convinced that citizen stewards like you are an essential part of that process."
Norton said the National Park Service uses more than 250 snowmobiles in two dozen units of the national park system for maintenance, resource management, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical services and other purposes. The National Park Service fleet includes several Polaris snowmobiles, which are also used by agencies such as the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.
About the 2005 Polaris Frontier Touring
The BAT-compliant 2005 Polaris Frontier Touring snowmobile has a 4-stroke Polaris Liberty engine with electronic fuel injection (EFI). This liquid-cooled, 2-cylinder engine has digital CD ignition and is so efficient that it is EPA compliant for the proposed Phase 3 beginning in model year 2012. The Indy Frontier Touring delivers 20-25 miles per gallon (MPG) fuel efficiency at trail speeds.
The Frontier Touring is designed to carry one or two people comfortably on its plush touring seat. It also has long-travel Polaris EDGE front and rear suspension for a smooth ride in all snow conditions.
About Polaris
Information about the complete line of Polaris products is available from authorized Polaris dealers or from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.
With annual 2003 sales of $1.6 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), Victory motorcycles and the Polaris RANGER for recreational and utility use.
Polaris is the recognized leader in the snowmobile industry and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive inroads into the motorcycle cruiser marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships. Consumers can also purchase apparel and vehicle accessories anytime at www.polarisindustries.com.
Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Pacific Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.
