The Norwegian Polar Institute has selected Prinoth’s high-performance Panther XL tracked vehicles to support transport and logistics at the Troll Research Station in Antarctica. A contract has been awarded for the scope of supply 10 units PXL with a relevant spare parts and service package included for the amount of 175 million NOK (17 million USD). Built at Prinoth’s Granby, Québec facility, the Panther XL combines expertise from across Prinoth’s divisions to create a machine designed for the world’s harshest environment.
“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.” — Klaus Tonhäuser
A true product of internal collaboration, the Panther XL draws from both Prinoth’s Snow Grooming (Sterzing) and Crawler Carrier (Granby) business units, with additional innovations developed specifically for this model.
From Prinoth’s Snow Grooming division, the Panther XL features a large, intuitive, and customizable touchscreen display adapted from snow groomers to meet the specific demands of Panther XL operations, heated windows and wipers designed to endure the most severe weather and a high-comfort air suspension seat, intuitive steering wheel, and cruise control system, providing operators with exceptional comfort and control for long-haul missions.
From Prinoth’s Crawler Carrier expertise, the Panther XL benefits from Prinoth’s patented rubber track undercarriage, incorporating large wheels and automatic track tensioning for reliable performance in difficult terrain and an advanced powertrain integration, drawing on Prinoth’s deep experience with Caterpillar power pack systems.
Additionally, the Panther XL introduces innovations developed specifically for polar operations, including a full suspension cab design for superior ride quality and operator comfort, Prinoth’s patented 4-track drive dynamics for optimized traction and stability and a patent-pending operator assist drive functions, designed to support operators during long-distance hauls in extreme conditions.
“Antarctica demands the very best technology,” said Klaus Tonhäuser, President of Prinoth. “By bringing together the strengths of our Snow Grooming and Crawler Carrier teams, and adding 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.”
This project exemplifies Prinoth’s mission to develop sustainable, high-performance solutions that empower its partners to succeed where conventional equipment can’t.
About Prinoth
Prinoth develops products for the most challenging conditions. With over 60 years of experience, it is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of crawler carriers, snow groomers and vegetation management equipment. In the company’s crawler carrier division, proven technologies and expert know-how, contribute to the industry leading vehicles renowned for their reliability, productivity and performance.
Prinoth is part of the HTI Group (High Technology Industries), which specializes in the fields of winter sports, urban mobility, material transport, construction, vegetation management and clean energy. With over 20 production facilities, 84 branches and 4,300 employees worldwide, HTI is able to meet the needs of its customers at their local level.
Prinoth Crawler Carriers – (prinoth-crawlercarriers.com)
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