Concept of the Week

Lotus, known for sports cars, has developed an ice crawler for researchers in the coming Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition

Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle

Stuart Schwartzapfel

Lotus, a company known for its lightweight sports cars, has developed an extreme ice crawler to assist researchers in the Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition, a 3,000 mile journey across the continent of Antarctica. The CIV, or Concept Ice Vehicle, is powered by biofuel and driven by a large propeller in the rear. The exposed, pod-like cabin seats one and rests on top of three large skis, each sporting independent suspension. Overall, the cold weather concept is about 15-ft. long and 15-ft. wide and features a GPS radar system capable of detecting dangerous crevasses in the ice ahead. The CIV will pull two other, heavier support vehicles as the team crosses from one frozen Antarctic coast to another.

The Verdict: Impressive engineering from the race track to the icy tundra.

Stuart Schwartzapfel is a regular contributor to BusinessWeek.com. He has studied the automotive marketplace and works as an advertising and marketing strategist for major manufacturers. He does not write about any car brands for which he currently works.

next slide previous slide