Concept Ice Vehicle By Lotus Explores Antarctica

Posted on November 18, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann in Cars+Tranportation

Kieron Bradley gained experience designing formula 1 race car chassis before he took the lead on the CIV (Concept Ice Vehicle) built as a manned scout rover for a trans-Antarctic expedition. Andrew Regan, expedition leader, states, “If you can run bio-fuels successfully in the most harsh and extreme environment in the world, then there is no reason why you can’t use them to get to the supermarket!”

The engine of the CIV is a supercharged BMW 1150 that has been adapted to run on biofuel. The propulsion system is via propeller and the 800lb vehicle has a top speed of 84mph.

This CIV is a cross between and Ultralight and a snowmobile. The machine comes equipped with an Ice Penetrating Radar (IPR) that scans for weakness in the substrate that might threaten the following expedition. There is room for little else besides the pilot as this is meant to be a scout, and if necessary, man hauled over nasty terrain.

Lotus has been on the cutting edge of alternative energy vehicles. The Omnivore and Eco-Elise are two gorgeous machines spewed forth from the minds over at Lotus so far. However, the Moon Regan expedition is bringing alternative vehicles to new corners of the planet in the name of science and the environment.

The Andrew Moon-Andrew Regan expedition team will cross the great continent using state-of-the-art bio-fuelled vehicle technology and cutting-edge communications equipment to raise awareness of how Antarctica’s fate affects the whole environment.

The explorers will cross the continent by vehicle to:

demonstrate how using wheeled vehicles in the Antarctic can work more efficiently
demonstrate the efficiency of bio-fuels
educate the world about climate change
inspire more children to learn about the importance of the polar regions

Check out the expedition website and learn more about Regan and Moon.

Tags:

antarctica, biofuel, concept, ice vehicle, lotus

6 Responses to “ Concept Ice Vehicle By Lotus Explores Antarctica ”

Eco Tours

23. Nov, 2008

Cool looking toy! The ice radar seems like a really cool feature, I never knew that such a thing existed. I wonder what the top speed is for the radar to still work?

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Uncle B

26. Nov, 2008

. . . and down the deep crevasse we go, SPLAT ! ! ! . . .
Needs ground effects wings and a survival kit on board. Great Fun, good on frozen lakes inland too.

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Arakis

23. Dec, 2008

The manufacturer should offer pontoons as an optional accessory just in case global warming turns out to be real.

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Site's linking to this post:

links for 2008-11-20 | Nerdcore

20. Nov, 2008

[...] Concept Ice Vehicle By Lotus Explores Antarctica | greenUPGRADER (tags: GreenTech Cars ConceptArt) [...]

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Uber-cool Concept Ice Cruiser by Lotus | StyleCrave | The Lifestyle Guide for the Modern Man.

20. Nov, 2008

[...] CIV is an exclusive ice vehicle by Lotus that explores the harshest environment in the world and is not just a concept on a paper. Designed by Kieron Bradley, featuring an Ice Penetrating Radar (IPR) that looks out for thin ice, the Concept Ice Vehicle can hit a max speed of 84 mph on the frozen Antarctic turf. This mix between a snowmobile and an ultralight vehicle not only looks incredible, is also a completely practical solution. Too bad it’s only fit for a single rider… [via GreenUpgrader] [...]

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Concept Ice Vehicle for Antartic Expedition by Lotus Explores Antartica | IGreenSpot

20. Nov, 2008

[...] GreenUpgrader Sponsored [...]

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