Polar Bears International Launches EV Tundra Buggy One, Bear-Dar AI During Polar Bear Week

Polar Bears International unveiled two major innovations that could reshape how scientists study polar bears and how northern communities coexist with them. Both launched on November 3, 2025, during Polar Bear Week, at a moment when climate change and sea ice loss are accelerating the challenges facing the species. Polar Bear Week is the first week of November. In 2025, the dates are Nov. 2-8.

The first innovation is in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada: EV Tundra Buggy One. It is the first fully electric Tundra Buggy ever built from the ground up. Most Tundra Buggies are converted diesel vehicles. This one was designed and engineered as a dedicated zero emissions machine. A Tundra Buggy is similar to a school bus on massive off-road tires, designed to safely transport researchers and visitors across Arctic terrain to study polar bears.

EV Tundra Buggy One replaces the diesel Buggy One and is used as Polar Bears International’s mobile research and outreach vehicle. It was designed by Polar Bears International, the only organization solely dedicated to polar bears and sea ice conservation. The buggy was developed in partnership with Frontiers North Adventures, a leader in sustainable tourism, and manufactured by Noble Northern Ltd.

The EV buggy is already in the field supporting scientists during the annual polar bear migration outside Churchill. The team is streaming live from the tundra to classrooms and citizen scientists around the world. Because the buggy is electric, it produces far less noise and creates fewer disturbances to polar bears. It also emits no tailpipe pollution.

On a global scale, reducing emissions is critical because climate change is the number one threat to polar bears. The battery system is performing in extreme Subarctic conditions, proving that clean energy can function even at minus 40 degrees Celsius. Close up research like this is essential as Churchill’s polar bear population has declined by about 50 percent since 1979. A research report released in August 2025 found steep drops in pregnancy rates among females in this region, yet received no press coverage.

The second innovation is in Eureka, Nunavut, Canada: the launch of Bear Dar AI. Bear Dar is an artificial intelligence powered radar system that detects approaching polar bears through snow, darkness, and extreme wind. After years of training and testing in Winnipeg and Churchill, the system can now differentiate the subtle shape of a polar bear against the Arctic landscape. Bear Dar provides real time alerts to residents and researchers, helping prevent surprise encounters. The system can trigger alarms or send text message notifications, allowing people to respond early and avoid conflict.

Together, these tools support real time monitoring of polar bears for research, safety, and coexistence. They arrive at a critical time. Climate change is pushing more bears onto land for longer periods, increasing interactions with people. Churchill experienced a tense season in 2024 after a landfill fire attracted more bears into town. Polar Bears International responded by installing electric fencing, improved lighting, and bear safe waste bins to help protect both the community and the bears.

Recent research reinforces the urgency. Studies in 2025 show that fewer female polar bears are becoming pregnant and that females are in declining body condition. Another study found that polar bears leave behind roughly 7.6 million kilograms of prey each year, supporting a network of Arctic scavengers. A Science paper published in early 2025 confirmed that Churchill’s polar bear subpopulation has declined by roughly half since the late 1970s due to climate driven sea ice loss.

Globally, there are about 26,000 polar bears. Their survival depends on sea ice. Without it, they cannot reliably hunt seals, mate, or den. If current emissions trends continue, most of the world’s polar bears are expected to disappear by the end of this century. Churchill’s population could vanish as early as mid century if warming surpasses two degrees Celsius.

Polar Bears International is the only nonprofit dedicated solely to conserving polar bears and their sea ice habitat. The organization addresses both urgent challenges, such as conflict prevention, and long term threats, such as climate change policy and protection of denning areas. Frontiers North Adventures, Polar Bears International’s partner on the EV Tundra Buggy One, is a Certified B Corporation and has been a leader in sustainable Arctic travel since 1987.

Electric research vehicles and AI powered bear detection represent a new chapter in Arctic science and coexistence. Support cleaner research, safer communities, better outcomes for a species at risk. Support Polar Bears International.