Lotus eco-friendly concept does 135kmph on snow

London: The new Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) unveiled by Lotus can go upto 135kmph over snow and ice. The British sports car maker says that its latest concept model is specially built for voyages even across the Antarctica.

The CIV is powered by a supercharged motorbike engine and can operate in temperatures as low as minus 72 degrees celsius.

The vehicle is also eco-friendly as it runs on bio-fuel. The E85 bioethanol fuel used in the CIV can reduce emissions by around 70 per cent compared with ordinary petrol, said  Lotus.

The single-seater ice vehicle is 14.8 feet long by 14.8 feet wide, with three independently suspended legs each carrying an oversize ice ski. It weighs only 350kgs, which is light enough to be pulled by hand over bumpy areas. The light vehicle can act as a scout to plan routes for heavier vehicles on flat, hard-packed ice and is equipped witha  special radar that detects hidden crevasses in the ice.

The propeller-driven machine also has an independent suspension and a spiked foot stationed under the cockpit to stop the CIV when the surface of the southernmost continent is extra slick.

Kieron Bradley, a former Formula One chassis designer built the CIV. He has performed extensive testing of every component of the vehicle, which has been put together from microlight parts, in Lotus's cold chambers to test its ability to survive very low temperatures.

The CIV will be used for an expedition to the South Pole to raise awareness of climate change and to demonstrate the efficiency of biofuel. The research expedition is organised by the explorers Andrew Moon and Andrew Regan.