Swiss solar power summit: record broken but Porsche was faster

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Three Swiss inventors Patrik (29) and David Koller (31) and David Pröschel (32) reached 6,500 meters above sea level on the Chilean volcano Ojos del Salado this week with their self-transforming solar-powered e-mobile Terren. . Thus, a new world altitude record was broken for electric vehicles. But the adventurous trio wants more; that is, to break the absolute world altitude record for land vehicles and to climb to the top of Ojos del Salado, 6,893 meters high, with their vehicles.

Unfortunately for Swiss adventurers, this is impossible. “Currently, only the western summit of the volcano, at an altitude of 6,734 meters, is accessible,” says Patrik Koller from the base camp at 5,300 metres. By choosing a route through a dangerous glacier, the Swiss do not have to surrender 250 meters below the summit. «We lost almost three hours due to a technical problem with the cooling system. For this reason, we had to give up our attempt at 6,500 meters, where it was not possible to progress without a rope crane.”

He stopped shortly before finishing

This is all the more frustrating because the Swiss trio slowed down at the last second while chasing altitude records shortly before the big goal. A Porsche factory team is also climbing the western summit in a converted Porsche 911 with e-fuel drive. And it does it! “The day before, we watched live how risky it was for them to use cranes on the same route,” says Patrik Koller. “But the risk they took paid off and they reached the western summit of Ojos del Salado, at 6,734 metres. “Congratulations,” he says in a sporty manner, showing respect to his slightly faster rivals.

The Swiss want to try to climb the western summit again with solar vehicles, with the aim of at least equaling the world altitude record for land vehicles. But probably on a different route. “On the originally planned route, despite the cable winch, the final climb was too steep for our 6.5 tonne terren.”

Source: Blick