How it works
A completely new commercial lightweight amphibious all-terrain vehicle designed to match modern requirements in mobility and off-road performance. Most of classic concepts of amphibious ATV were reviewed and our product utilizes many opportunities of modern technologies, already available in automotive and aerospace industries but never seen before in ATVs.
Electric transmission eliminates most of unreliable parts of XX century designs: gears, chains, gearboxes and clutch as well as reducing power losses and overall weight. With a purpose-built on-board computer and power controller the efficiency of transmission is close to the maximum on any terrain. Individual and precise torque control for every motor considering terrain condition and grip considerably raises performance and stability of the vehicle whilst saving energy and protecting itself from damage, which is all essential for any modern electric transport. Even the internal combustion engine is no longer dominating the design. Being coupled with an alternator it is playing role of a standalone power supply module which could be replaced by a fuel cell or other type of energy storage in the future without redesign of the drivetrain and transmission.
New approach for a multi-track drivetrain, resembling four giant low-pressure wheels implemented as track modules combines the advantages of both wheel and tracks. A wide boat-like main body with low centre of gravity and completely solid below waterline gives the Vanquisher a huge advantages on water and in wetlands. Two full-size stretchers or four passengers not including the driver is a best in class value for a rescue vehicle, which could be easily transported in a trailer by a street car due to its small size and weight.
The Vanquisher was designed specially to be able to perform various rescue operation with maximum efficiency. The cabin may accommodate up to four passengers and a driver but also the passenger area could be converted for installation of one or two standard paramedical stretchers for injured people laying horizontally. Due to the unique four-track drivetrain configuration the Vanquisher has much more space to accommodate seated and laying passengers than any other amphibious transporter of the similar size (just about 2x3m). In the unlikely case the transporter should turn over, the passengers both seated and laying are protected by a strong roll bar frame which reduces injury risks for that case.
A main body of the vehicle is built as a wide and stable boat, capable to float with full load. Safety of water travel is ensured by low gravity centre, high boards and no openings below the waterline as the driving axles of the track modules are located above the waterline unlike most of other amphibious ATVs.
Large fuel tank of the powerplant gives the Vanquisher an enormous operating range off-road. However in practical rescue operations it is often possible to reach quite close to the destination by public roads and mobility of the whole rescue team could be considerably increased if the off-road vehicle could be transported by a small car trailer, not a container or a heavy truck. Our amphibious ATV is small and light enough to be carried by a trailer towed by a street car, which gives an extra mobility for emergency operations.
Essential effort was applied to ensure vehicle safety in any environment. As it is expected to be operated in wetlands and on water, as a boat, the onboard voltage is limited to 48V DC, which is considered safe for humans in case of unlikely event of direct contact of electric drivetrain with water. To achieve that a unique low-voltage integrated power management system was developed as no such products are yet available on the market. All electric/electronic modules are IP67 protected and comply with safety requirements as per ISO 10133:2012. Safety features on terrain are including but not limited to tree-channel braking system, safety belts for all passengers, roll bars, protective frame all around the vehicle integrated with strong front and rear bumpers. There are no openings/holes in the vessel body below the waterline and boards are high enough to give the Vanquisher good floatation capabilities (we still have a bilge pump as a standard accessory for some case). Safety equipment and solutions implemented in the Vanquisher are approved by TÜV.
Comfortable heated interior and wide range of integrated accessories, specially designed for all-weather and all-terrain operation, remote control and autonomous driving features together with one or two stretchers easily installed on rails in the cabin, make the Vanquisher a perfect rescue tool to be used in mountain areas as well as in wetlands. Our lightweight vehicle can be transported via simple street car trailer as close as possible to the emergency location by public roads and then used off-road and even on open water to fulfill its objectives. None of the competing amphibious ATVs or other all-terrain vehicles of comparable size and weight can provide such a combination of features and such level of comfort for the injured as well as rescue teams. The principal composition and key drivetrain solutions are protected by patents.
Currently the Vanquisher is ready for the production in small series. The Vanquisher first public appearance was made at RETTmobil exhibition in Fulda, Germany last May. Recently it received an Bavarian State Award at eCarTec electric and hybrid-electric vehicles trade fair in München. The Vanquisher was presented on some other professional events (ICAR congress, Borovets; ISTVS conference, Detroit; Automatica Expo, München). We have already built several transporters using a series production technology.