ESPAR

Kilowatt

Snowstream

It’s called Zero South and represents zero fossil fuels to the South Pole. Believe it or not, the beasts you see in the picture are in fact powered only by batteries and biofuels. The people planning this trip claim the project uses repurposed Hummer H1 vehicles for their wide track and modular, box-like construction. These features apparently come in handy in a place like Antarctica.Using monsters rather known for their military utility comes with a subtle message. They are fighting for both environmental defense and to demonstrate that new technology has precedent. If everything runs well, the completion of the 1,200-mile expedition should coincide with the 100-year anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s most famous Endurance expedition.The expedition will see the South vehicles and team flown via a Russian cargo jet from Punta Arenas, Chile to the blue ice runway (SCGC) at Union Glacier Camp. The camp is located at the base of the Ellsworth Mountains near Hercules of the Weddell Sea. Here, the team will go through three days of staging and training prior to expedition pull out from the edge of Antarctica.The vehicles are a true work of mechanical art, to be honest, considering we’re looking at an expedition that goes through the most remote and inhospitable terrain this planet has to offer. The Hummer H1 trucks were named Hybrid Polar Traverse Vehicles and taking just a peak at their specifications will most likely get your attention.Each of the two former military machines is equipped with a 3.2-liter six-cylinder turbo diesel engine that will run solely on biofuel during the expedition. The vehicles are insulated and were built to operate in minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cars feature sophisticated climate controls and twoheaters to channel heated glycol (radiator coolant) to warm the batteries, electric motors, inverters, engine and the fuel system.According to the expedition team , for front-wheel drive, a 150(200 horsepower) electric motor is coupled to the front differential pinion. An identical motor is connected to the rear differential to retain 4-wheel drive. Electricity is generated using a third electric motor connected to the flywheel of an Austrian 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine that is capable of producing 160 Kilowatts (216 horsepower).The plug-in Hummers are capable of an estimated 32 miles of electric range while using road tires. The team is still calculating on how far they’ll be able to go using tracks. Moreover, one of the vehicles was designed to tow a modified Airstream trailer they named the. There’s a detailed specifications list you can consult on their website, in case you’re interested.Since Zero South is aiming at sending the first hybrids to the South Pole, the team also plans to document its journey on camera and produce a 10-episode television miniseries and feature-length film. This way their message will be spread all over the world.