The TANK 300 model of Great Wall Automobile has been selected as the polar vehicle for the Great Wall Station project of the Antarctic scientific expedition.
This Chinese-made tough off-road vehicle is currently on the Antarctic ice sheet, undergoing the ultimate environmental test on behalf of the entire Chinese automotive industry. It is not a specially designed scientific research vehicle nor a heavily modified experimental model, but a production version of the Tank 300 diesel model directly rolled off the production line of Great Wall Motors. It has now officially become a selected product for China’s polar expeditions and is about to head to the Great Wall Station in Antarctica to undertake scientific research, transportation, and support tasks. This is not a marketing gimmick, but a national-level assessment of the extreme performance of domestic vehicles initiated by the National Polar Research Institute. We always say that domestic cars are making rapid progress, but can they perform well in the world’s harshest environment? Compared with the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and other veteran models with polar service history, the special feature of the Tank 300 lies in that it directly entered the national scientific research system in its original production form without any special modifications. What does this mean?
1. System redundancy, rather than single-point strength
- Borgward Time 4×4 with three locking mechanisms: Mechanical reliability > Electronic dependence
- 2.4T diesel + ZF 8AT: Low torque 340 N·m, can tow a 3.5t sled even at -40℃
- Chassis 220mm off the ground + 33° approach angle: Does not sink in damaged ice surface sections
2. “Stupidity-based” polar adaptation
- All rubber parts (sealing strips, shock absorption rubber sleeves) passed the -50℃×1000 times bending test.
- The glass lift motor is equipped with PTC heating, preventing the mechanism from freezing.
- The oil fluid is switched to a polar formula throughout the line (developed by Great Wall, not military grade, but sufficient for use).
3. Data loop
- The vehicle-mounted CAN bus transmits real-time data from over 300 sensors (suspension travel, oil temperature, tire pressure)
- With technicians accompanying = a mobile laboratory. Every kilometer is a national standard-level test track
This has a “reverse pulling effect” on the industry.
- Standard setting authority: The future “China Polar Vehicle Specifications” will be based on the actual data of the TANK 300, rather than simply copying ECE R13.
- Supply chain upgrade: Manufacturers of sealing strips, lubricants, and wire harness sheaths are forced to enter the -50℃ environment. The cost of the civilian vehicle version for cold regions can be reduced by 30%.
- Military-civilian integration example: Private car manufacturers have, for the first time, entered the national polar system as scientific expedition team members, breaking the stereotype that “research = state-owned enterprise”.
Conclusion
The Tank 300 is not the “strongest polar vehicle”, but the “most daring off-road vehicle for mass production”.
It has transformed Antarctica from a “showcase for foreign automakers” into a “testing ground for China’s supply chain”.
When the first set of Chinese mass-produced vehicle tracks left the Antarctic ice sheet, it was not a marketing victory, but a footnote to industrial dignity –
We can finally use vehicles that can be repaired in 4S stores to do things that previously could only be accomplished through airdrops.
It marks the beginning of Chinese private enterprises’ deep involvement in the country’s top-level scientific research support system, and is a landmark event signifying the leap from “Made in China” to extreme reliability. In the past, we admired the steel veterans of foreign polar teams. Now, we have our own “Guardians of the Watchtower”. More importantly, this collaboration will also push back and drive the establishment of China’s polar vehicle standards. It is not a copy of foreign standards, but is defined based on real polar feedback, belonging to China’s polar travel solution. Imagine the future: under the polar daylight glow, a pair of the Great Wall polar team vehicles traverse the ice fields. They are not just transportation tools, but mobile energy stations, communication nodes, and environmental monitoring platforms.
Starting from the Tank 300, China will establish a comprehensive technology ecosystem covering polar travel, energy supply, and intelligent driving. This is no longer about the difficulty of the vehicle reaching the destination, but about China’s technology system moving towards the last frontier of the Earth. This vehicle not only carries the scientific expedition team and supplies, but also embodies the dignity of China’s industrial transformation, from manufacturing to application, from cost-effectiveness to being a lifeline. When it leaves its first imprint of a mass-produced Chinese vehicle on the Antarctic ice sheet, it is not a show of conquering nature, but our silent declaration of the never-ending pursuit of reliability and maintaining respect for the unknown. He doesn’t want to, but it is deafening.