Three men from Switzerland have formed the Peak Evolution Team with the goal of conquering the summit of Ojos del Salado in Chile – the world’s highest active volcano – in a solar electric truck, with the help of Austrian logistics company Gebrüder Weiss. The custom-built solar EV is on its way to Chile, and if the team proves successful, it will have achieved a world record that will quite literally bring the electric vehicle to new heights.
The Peak Evolution Team was formed in Switzerland by Patrik and David Koller, as well as David Proeschel, all of whom have been friends over the course of two decades through childhood, followed by careers in automotive engineering and renewable energies.
Following an idea for an all-electric, multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), the three friends formed DDP Innovation GmbH in 2018 to attempt to bring their vision to life. From there, Peak Evolution was formed to further drive the MPV’s development while simultaneously demonstrating its performance capabilities.
What better way to do so than to drive the solar electric truck to an altitude of 6,893 meters (22,615 feet) to reach the summit of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile? To achieve this, the Peak Evolution Team has recruited the help of the oldest logistics company in the world – Gebrüder Weiss, which is the official partner of the expedition – and shared details of its progress today.
In addition to the PV modules installed on the truck’s roof, there are mobile, extendable modules providing additional power supply during sunny hours. / Credit: Gebrüder Weiss / Anna Pocinska
Safely loading the sensitive expedition equipment was a matter of millimeters
Solar electric truck makes way by sea to base of volcano
As the official partner of the attempt at summiting the world’s highest active volcano, Gebrüder Weiss says it has made a considerable contribution to Peak Evolution Team’s project – which is a culmination of nearly four years of development to get to this point. Per the Team’s co-developer and head of finance Patrik Koller:
Our vehicle makes it possible to perform even the most demanding transport tasks, whether in mining or when erecting high-altitude solar power plants, in an environmentally compatible and economically efficient manner. The expedition is going to show the commercial viability of the product we developed. In Gebrüder Weiss, we have gained a partner who shares our vision of sustainable mobility and, as an international transport company, will also be able to benefit from it in practical terms in the future.
By taking its multipurpose solar electric truck up the volcano where no other vehicle has been, the teams want to showcase the efficiency of zero-emissions vehicles and the capabilities of alternative powertrains. Speaking of which, the Aebi Schmidt MPV contains two electric motors delivering an output of 240 kW or 380 hp, and is capable of delivering 200 km (124 miles) of range per charge.
Luckily, the electric truck is equipped with solar panels all over it to recharge while climbing the volcano. Those photovoltaics consists of 42 m² modules on the trucks roof as well as mobile extensions on either side (seen above) that offer a total output of 7.4 kWp.
The MPV has already driven 889 km (552 miles) from Sevelen, Switzerland, to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and has been safely loaded up in a 40-foot storage container, complete with a double floor to secure all equipment and a battery disconnect. Now, the solar electric truck is making a 12,021 km (7,470 mile) journey from Rotterdam to San Antonio, Chile, before being transported another 780 km (485 miles) to Salar de Maricunga, where it will be reassembled and begin its climb up the volcano.
A documentary film team is tagging along and capturing the progress of the mission, led by award-winning Swiss filmmaker Claudio von Planta. We will be sure to follow the progress of Peak Evolution Team as it chases a world record for vehicles, and a key demonstrative milestone for electric mobility. Below is a trailer for the team’s record-chasing mission:
Keyword: This team is attempting to take a solar electric truck atop the highest active volcano on Earth