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All-terrain vehicle joins China's Antarctic expedition

Xinhua, November 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

China's first all-terrain vehicle to work in polar conditions will join the 32nd Antarctic expedition that sets off on Saturday from Shanghai.

The vehicle, developed by the Polar Research Institute of China and Guizhou Jonyang Kinetics Co. Ltd, was delivered to the expedition team in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The amphibious vehicle has excellent maneuverability and can run in snowfields, deserts, beaches and mountainous regions at a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour and 5 kilometers per hour in water, said Lyu Qian, president of Guizhou Jonyang Kinetics Co. Ltd.

It can also cross 0.6 meter vertical barriers and 1.5-meter ditches and work in environments between minus 41 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius, said Lyu.

The vehicle is equipped with a low-carbon-emission engine and a computer system that can transmit operation data from the Antarctic back to China for analysis, he said.

The icebreaker "Xuelong" (Snow Dragon) with a crew of 265 is expected to leave Shanghai on Saturday for the six-month expedition. Endi