Plug In Hybrid Hummers Set To Take On Antarctica

A group of intrepid polar explorers who call themselves Zero South are preparing to make the first trip to the South Pole without burning one drop of fossil fuel says Green Car Reports. The group will use a pair of plug-in hybrid Hummers with 3.2 liter diesel engines for the 1200 mile journey. The engines will burn only bio-diesel on the way down and back. The Hummers also have an electric motor front and rear, and a 24 kWh battery pack that powers the motors and can be recharged by the diesel engines. The batteries are heavily insulated to protect them from the -60 degree Fahrenheit temperatures expected along the way.

Both Hummers have been fitted with treads from Mattracks to give them the sure footed grip they will need to traverse the frozen wastes of Antarctica. Their suspensions have been heavily reinforced to withstand the rigors of the trip across uncharted territory. One of the Hummers will also tow a modified Airstream trailer — dubbed the Snowstream — which will  provide shelter for the explorers along the way and while conducting their research at the South Pole.

The choice of the Hummer H1 as the basis for the expedition vehicles was not random. The Hummers’ wide stance will aid stability over uneven terrain. But there is a bit of “intentional irony”  as well.

The normal Hummer H1 has just about the largest carbon footprint of any wheeled vehicle on the planet except, perhaps, for your average Peterbilt. By converting the Hummers to run entirely on electricity and bio-diesel, the team is making a very deliberate statement about their respect for the environment. “We shall draft a symbol of military defense for the front lines of environmental defense,” expedition organizer Nick Baggarly has declared.

 Naturally in this world of the selfie and non-stop marketing, the Zero South team expects to videotape the entire adventure. A 10 part television series and a full length feature movie are planned, both based on those videos.