Taking the “aim high” idiom literally, Swiss transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss have just set a new altitude record for EVs. This big rig is called Terren and it embarked on a grand adventure to the western ridge of Ojos del Salado in Chile. It’s the highest active volcano in the world and the place where a Porsche 911 with portal axles recently set an altitude record.
Running on synthetic fuel, the sports car climbed 22,093 feet (6,734 meters) above sea level. As for the off-road truck, it “only” got up to 21,325 feet (6,500 meters) but it was enough to set a record for electric vehicles. The previous record, established in May 2022, belonged to the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX. The electric SUV reached 19,081 feet (5,816 meters) by climbing the Uturuncu volcano in Quetena Chico, Bolivia.
The solar-powered Terren is touted as a multi-purpose truck developed by Aebi Schmidt. It’s a Swiss company specialized in agricultural machinery and heavy equipment. The prototype is based on the Aebi VT450 Transporter and benefits from rear-wheel steering. It has a relatively small 90-kWh battery good for 124 miles (200 kilometers) of range but a production version can accommodate an 140-kWh pack to travel farther.
Motivation is provided by a pair of electric motors delivering a combined 380 horsepower. Because the Ojos del Salado is far away from civilization, Terren was permanently fitted with roof-mounted solar panels spanning 86 square feet (8 square meters) to juice up the battery. Another 301 square feet (28 square meters) of mobile photovoltaics were used during sunny hours. The team behind the project claims capturing the sun’s energy into the panels for five hours is enough for about 93 miles (150 kilometers) of range.
The record-breaking journey commenced at the Maricunga salt lake by doing first exploratory tours at 11,154 feet (3,400 meters) above sea level. The first milestone was achieved at the end of November when Terren reached the 6,000-meter barrier. A week later, it reached 21,325 feet (6,500 meters). And yes, it only used solar power during the whole journey.
