China's self-developed Antarctic vehicle travels over 10,000 km

BEIJING -- China's self-developed Snow Leopard 6×6 wheeled vehicle recently completed extreme environment testing in the Antarctic interior, traveling more than 10,000 km with zero failures, China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team said on Tuesday.

From Dec 5 last year to early February this year, the red Antarctic vehicle conducted a series of tests at China's Zhongshan Station research base and in five typical Antarctic inland terrain areas, where it encountered sea ice, gravel, soft snow, hard snow and solid ice.

The successful testing of this vehicle fills a crucial gap in China's equipment capabilities for rapid ground personnel transport, scientific research support, and emergency rescue operations in Antarctica, according to the team.

For a long time, China's expeditions in the Antarctic interior mainly relied on imported tracked vehicles, which have a slower speed, higher fuel consumption, and greater operation and maintenance costs.

The new self-made wheeled vehicle boasts faster speeds. According to Sun Peng, a team member in charge of the on-site tests, the Snow Leopard vehicle can reach speeds of 28 km/h on soft snow and 42 km per hour on hard snow, but common tracked vehicles have a speed of 15 km per hour. Moreover, the Snow Leopard can maintain a stable speed of 65 km per hour on solid ice and has a maximum range of approximately 700 km with a full tank of fuel.

To overcome challenges such as low temperatures, low air pressure and complex terrain, the research and development team has achieved breakthroughs in multiple key technologies related to the vehicle's power system and tire material, Sun added.

Yao Xu, a team leader, recalled an emergency transport mission in which the Snow Leopard vehicle operated continuously for 12 hours, covering a round trip of 263 km in snowy conditions with visibility reduced to around three meters, successfully ensuring the rapid delivery of critical equipment.

This was the first time ground transport in China's Antarctic expeditions reached such speeds under severe weather conditions that made aerial access impossible, according to Yao.

China's 42nd Antarctic expedition team embarked on its journey from Shanghai on Nov 1, 2025. During this expedition, a series of novel equipment and technologies will be deployed and tested on the continent.