Venturi Antarctica: Electric tracked vehicle for the Antarctic

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• Somebody should say again that electric vehicles and cold do not go well together …
• Photo gallery: Venturi Antarctica (2021): Electric polar vehicle
• Technical data of the Venturi Antarctica

Somebody should say again that electric vehicles and cold do not go well together …

Electric vehicles and cold do not get along? Well, the Venturi Antarctica proves otherwise. The tracked vehicle with electric drive is intended for use in the Antarctic.

If it works there, it will probably also in the German winter.

The manufacturer is the company Venturi from Monaco, which specializes in electric vehicles. For example, she built the VBB-3, which was supposed to set a new speed record (around 600 km / h) in 2016. The 2004 Venturi Fetish electric roadster was a bit more bourgeois. Now the manufacturer has put the world's first emission-free polar research vehicle on its feet (or better: the chains).

Photo gallery: Venturi Antarctica (2021): Electric polar vehicle

There is a little anecdote about the creation of the vehicle: During a trip to the Antarctic in 2009, Prince Albert II of Monaco noticed that the polar stations had no environmentally friendly vehicles. Therefore, the Foundation of the Head of State commissioned the Venturi company to develop an emission-free vehicle for the transport of passengers and equipment. Three successive versions of the vehicle were designed. The latest will be used from December 7, 2021 at the Belgian research station Princess Elisabeth.

The 2.5-ton vehicle is powered by two 60 kW motors – it will not be able to set any speed records with it. Even with the range (just 50 kilometers), no top value can be announced, even if a second battery can be taken inside. It is rather record-breaking that the vehicle is ready for operation at temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.

Other special features include solar panels on the roof, which are supposed to supply the most important parts of the vehicle with electricity in the event of a breakdown. To protect against the cold, there is double glazing and thermal insulation with polyurethane foam and airgel (an airy and feather-light material that mostly consists of silicates). There are also two struts on each side for driving comfort. While the chassis is made of steel, the body is made of carbon.

There is room for up to six people and their equipment on the foldable benches inside. Two people look ahead, the other four sit opposite each other in pairs at the back. The Antarctica is not controlled by a steering wheel like a car and also not with two levers for the two chains like a tank or bulldozer, but with a joystick.

The vehicle was presented to the Prince on Tuesday (June 1st) during a visit to Venturi. Prince Albert II drove a first prototype in Canada as early as March 2019.

More unusual electric vehicles: Rimac Nevera: Production version of the C_Two gets 1,914 hp

Technical data of the Venturi Antarctica

• Drive: 2 electric motors with 60 kW each
• Battery: 53 kWh (370 volts)
• Range: 50 km (with 1 battery)
• Dimensions: 3.46 m length / 2.02 m width / 2.18 m height
• Weight: 2,500 kg

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