Panther XL to Support Operations at Troll Station

Operating in one of the harshest climates on earth requires uncompromising machinery. To modernize its Troll Research Station in Antarctica, the Norwegian Polar Institute has selected the Panther XL from Prinoth – a tracked carrier purpose-built for extreme missions.

Antarctica demands peak performance from both humans and machines. As part of a large-scale project to upgrade the Troll Station, the Norwegian Polar Institute is acquiring ten Panther XL vehicles from Prinoth. The contract also includes an extensive spare parts and service package. Total value: approximately 175 million NOK (17 million USD).

„The new tracked vehicles are essential to maintaining our schedule and ensuring long-term success in Antarctic research", said Camilla Brekke, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute.

The Panther XL is the result of close collaboration between Prinoth’s sites in Vipiteno (Italy) and Granby (Canada). For the first time, key technologies from snow grooming and tracked transport have been combined – specifically tailored to the demands of polar missions.

• Comfort & ergonomics from snow grooming expertise: heated windows and wipers for extreme weather conditions; air-suspended seat, ergonomic steering wheel, and cruise control for long-distance travel; large, intuitive touchscreen display adapted from snow groomers.
  
  

• Traction & drivetrain from crawler carrier development: patented rubber track system with large rollers; automatic track tensioning for consistent performance; advanced powertrain integration based on Prinoth’s experience with Caterpillar power packs.

For multi-day journeys across Antarctica’s inland ice to the Troll Station – with trailers carrying up to 150 tons – the Panther XL introduces key innovations developed specifically for these missions:

• Fully suspended cab for improved ride comfort across rough terrain
  
  

• Patented 4-track drive dynamics for maximum traction and stability
  
  

• Patent-pending driver assistance functions for enhanced long-distance support

The first three vehicles are expected to be deployed before Christmas – ready to ensure reliable transport during the narrow summer operations window in Antarctica.

“These are top-tier tracked vehicles”, said Erland Loso, Director of Operations and Logistics at the Polar Institute. “They were developed in close consultation with our drivers and technical staff – a true custom solution for Antarctica.”

Prinoth President Klaus Tonhäuser added: “Antarctica demands the very best technology. By combining the strengths of our snow grooming and crawler carrier teams, and integrating targeted innovations, we’ve built a vehicle that’s made to perform well in the toughest conditions and underlines our groupwide leading engineering capabilities and our focus on customer needs."