GWM Tank 300 Diesel heads to Antarctica to support China’s polar research mission
Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced that the diesel version of its Tank 300 SUV will take part in China’s upcoming Antarctic scientific expedition, serving as a support and logistics vehicle for the research team, according to Y-Auto. The vehicle will operate in extreme Antarctic conditions, including temperatures several dozen degrees below zero and terrain marked by snow, ice, and crevasses. The Tank 300 Diesel will be used for personnel transport, material delivery, and field operations support.
The announcement follows a formal cooperation agreement between GWM and the China Polar Research Centre (CPRC), signed at GWM’s technical centre in Baoding. Under the agreement, both sides will jointly conduct research and testing projects for polar expedition vehicles, focusing on cold-weather validation, off-road capability, and reliability under extreme environmental stress. GWM technicians will also participate as official members of the polar expedition team for the first time.
As part of the collaboration, the Tank 300 Diesel has been designated as an “Approved Vehicle for China’s Antarctic and Arctic Scientific Expeditions.” The model sent to Antarctica is a standard production vehicle without significant modifications, and it will operate at the Great Wall Station on King George Island.
During mission preparation, CPRC experts visited GWM’s test facilities, including the environmental wind tunnel lab that simulates severe snowstorms and temperatures below -30 °C. In these tests, the Tank 300 successfully performed engine start, defrost, and heating operations under simulated polar conditions.
The vehicle’s powertrain includes a 2.4-litre turbocharged diesel engine producing 135 kW and 480 N·m of torque. Diesel power was selected for its durability and efficiency in extremely low temperatures. GWM reports that the Tank 300 Diesel underwent extensive testing, including over 14,000 hours of engine bench testing and multi-season field tests spanning the deserts of Turpan to the frozen regions of Heihe.
Beyond the Antarctic expedition, GWM and CPRC plan to establish ongoing joint development mechanisms, such as shared test platforms and data exchange on cold-weather vehicle performance. The cooperation aims to enhance China’s capability to design and produce vehicles suited for polar research and other demanding applications.
In addition to the Tank 300, the Avatr 12 electric sedan will also participate in the expedition. It is expected to become the first new energy vehicle to land in Antarctica for real-world testing and validation in extreme environments.
