Antarctica EV Helps Researchers Navigate Icy Terrain

(Image: Venturi)Fancy as it might be, your electric vehicle probably isn’t equipped to navigate deep snow and slick ice while hauling multi-ton implements. For the average person, this isn’t a problem—but for scientists up in Antarctica, a lack of appropriate land transportation equals a research road bump. Those studying meteorites, melting ice shelves, atmospheric changes, and other phenomena must be able to traverse miles upon miles of frozen ground. A typical electric SUV won’t do the trick.

Venturi hopes to fill that gap with the Antarctica, an electric polar exploration vehicle with all the heavy-duty equipment necessary to facilitate research on the world’s coldest continent. Venturi is known for producing race cars and space exploration devices. In 2009, the company was asked to build an all-electric vehicle capable of assisting researchers in their day-to-day duties in Antarctica. Twelve years later, Venturi launched the aptly-named Antarctica EV in time for a December 2021 research expedition.

The EV has proven extremely useful since. Scientists at the Belgian Princess Elizabeth research station use the Antarctica EV to travel to and maintain several weather observation stations in East Antarctica, as well as a new Belgian atmospheric observation station on the Antarctic Plateau. In the summer of 2022 alone, the Antarctica EV helped researchers travel 500 kilometers (310 miles).

The Antarctica EV’s practicality is largely owed to its rugged continuous track treads, which evenly distribute the vehicle’s 5,500 pounds across the snow. Its two 50-kilowatt batteries keep the vehicle going for 50 kilometers at a time, while dual 60-kilowatt DC motors give it speeds of up to 25 kilometers per hour. The Antarctica EV’s fold-down bench seats provide interior space for up to six people plus equipment, and built-in snow surface temperature sensors help researchers validate satellite measurements on the go.

Like any other new technology, Venturi has had to iterate on the Antarctica EV since the vehicle’s debut. The EV was originally designed to operate in extremely cold temperatures, and while Antarctica is still a chilly -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), it isn’t the -50 C (-58 F) Venturi had anticipated. This “warm” weather has caused snow to stick to the sprockets attached to the vehicle’s treads, resulting in vibrations that disrupt the efficiency and comfort of the ride. Venturi recently announced that it’s built and installed new sprockets to avoid snow buildup. The company has also upgraded the interior ventilation system to keep researchers cool.

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