From the First Off-Road Vehicle to Innovative Models
“The exploration of the Arctic is an undeniable priority for Russia,” emphasized Vladimir Putin in his speeches. To conquer this harsh region, modern off-road vehicles are essential, and today, Russian ones are considered the best in the world. Various models of this technology are currently undergoing durability testing in the comprehensive expedition “Arctic-East-77.”
The World’s First Off-Road Vehicle
When asked where the first off-road vehicle was designed, most people might mention one of the Western European countries. However, that is not the case. The laurels of the creator of the world’s first off-road vehicle belong to our compatriot, the renowned inventor of the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, Alexander Porokhovshchikov.
In 1914, during World War I, the engineer proposed a new invention to the command. It was a unique tracked vehicle capable of moving over rough terrain and overcoming water obstacles—fully meeting all the requirements of modern off-road vehicles. However, it had only one track.
The design also had two wheels connected to a steering mechanism and weighed 3.5 tons. A motor from the “Ford-T” car with a 2893 cm³ engine capacity and 10 horsepower was used for movement. The crew consisted of two people—a gunner and a driver.
The Imperial authorities allocated 9660 rubles and 72 kopecks for the creation of the first off-road vehicle. During the trials in 1915, it demonstrated the ability to reach speeds of up to 25 km/h. Most importantly, at that time, there was no name for such a vehicle, and the engineer suggested one: “off-road vehicle.” Thus, Alexander Porokhovshchikov became not only the author of the first terrestrial high-mobility vehicle but also gave it a name.
Scheme of the first all-terrain vehicle
Photo: Yandex
Subsequently, off-road vehicles gained great popularity and were even used by members of the imperial family. In particular, French engineer Adolphe Kegresse, the personal driver and director of the imperial garage in Tsarskoye Selo, concerned about the Russian snowy winter, poor roads, and the low power of the cars of that time, equipped the cars with semi-track propulsion to improve their off-road capabilities. Nicholas II highly appreciated this system.
Nicholas II’s car – the world’s first half-track vehicle
Photo: Yandex
Unique Soviet Off-Road Vehicles
With good roads always being a challenge in our vast country, it is not surprising that creating off-road vehicles received serious attention in the Soviet Union. Mostly, such vehicles were used for military purposes, construction, and the extraction of minerals.
However, attempts were made to create civilian off-road vehicles for mass use. One such attempt was the GAZ-16, or simply “Volga,” which could “fly.” Of course, the car did not hover in the air, but it could rise 15 centimeters above the ground thanks to an air cushion. The experimental model could move over rough terrain, cross obstacles, and even ford water barriers.
Engineers from the Gorky Automobile Plant, with the participation of engineers from NAMI and the Gorky Aviation Plant named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze, solved this complex task. They used the suspension from the first generation of the GAZ-21 “Volga” and the engine from the GAZ-13, the famous “Chaika.” On the highway, the car could reach a cruising speed of up to 170 km/h with a motor power of 195 hp. Its trials even took place in Moscow, as documented in archival footage.
This off-road vehicle was not afraid of off-road conditions, swamps, and rivers. “Volga” could move at a speed of about 40 km/h on them, which was an excellent result. Unfortunately, this wonder of the Soviet automotive industry never made it to stores. The car turned out to be very expensive, and the population did not have the money to buy it, while regional rural leaders were not interested in procuring it.
Image of the civil all-terrain vehicle GAZ-16
Photo: Yandex
The Blue Bird and the Future of Russian Off-Road Vehicles
The Soviet Union’s True Off-Road Vehicle Hit was the Famous “Blue Bird,” which emerged in the 1960s. It was designed for evacuating cosmonaut crews who had landed. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev personally asked the leadership of the ZIL Special Design Bureau to develop an off-road vehicle for this purpose.
The first prototype of the PEU-1 off-road vehicle appeared in 1966. It was a large six-wheeled amphibious off-road vehicle. Its land speed reached 75 km/h, and on water, it could move at 8 km/h.
ZiL PEU-1 – “Crane”, 1966–1973.
Photo: fotostrana.ru
The “Blue Bird” was not afraid of desert sands, the swamps of the middle belt, deep snow, or forest debris. And for the most challenging cases, a second highly mobile vehicle—a small tracked vehicle ZIL-29061—was located in the body of the off-road vehicle. Instead of wheels or tracks, this engineering marvel had screws resembling the propeller of a Soviet hand meat grinder.
By the way, in some cases, the “Blue Bird” (on par with modern Russian off-road vehicles like “Shaman”) is still used today for evacuating crews of landed space modules.
Passenger modification ZIL PEU-1M – “Salon”
Photo: fotostrana.ru
Ahead for the Whole Planet
Currently, domestic off-road vehicle developments are popular worldwide, and innovative models are constantly emerging.
For instance, Arab sheikhs prefer to purchase “Shaman” off-road vehicles for personal use. Moreover, in 2019, the UAE authorities procured these off-road vehicles for patrolling mountainous areas and deserts. In turn, many prominent politicians and media stars in Russia and abroad have “Arkhanth” off-road vehicles in their garages.
However, the development of domestic off-road vehicles does not stand still. Last autumn, the off-road vehicle manufacturer “Rusak” announced the introduction of a new model with a hydrogen engine. A special installation will convert the chemical energy of hydrogen into the electrical energy required for movement.
Scientists believe that over time, off-road vehicles with hydrogen engines can be refueled with ordinary water or snow. This quality will be especially valuable for conquering the Arctic. A vivid example of the operation of off-road vehicles in the Far North is the high-latitude scientific expedition “Clean Arctic” under the auspices of the Academy of Sciences. In one of its stages last autumn, “Arkhanth N” off-road vehicles participated.
All-terrain vehicle “Arkhant” as part of the “Clean Arctic” expedition
Photo: kmns.ru
The head of the technical department of the manufacturing company, Alexey Grinko, shared information about their use in research activities:
“For the expedition, two of our off-road vehicles were involved. The main task was to follow a certain route through the Arctic in different time intervals and assess the level of environmental pollution and ecological damage inflicted on this region during the Soviet period.
It should be noted that both vehicles, with representatives of the Academy of Sciences, successfully completed the planned route. Soil samples were taken during the expedition. There were many challenges. During autumn movement, the rivers had not frozen everywhere, and where they did, the ice was thin and often collapsed under the pressure of the vehicles. In some places, there were swift currents, unfrozen swamps, and frozen cascades. The terrain also did not promise anything good: steep descents and challenging ascents.
But we managed to overcome it all. Once, however, one of the off-road vehicles took in water during a difficult exit from the river, where the ice caused too much tilt. The problem was solved fairly quickly. At -15 degrees Celsius, with the help of a winch, we pulled the off-road vehicle onto the shore. The standard pump pumped out the water. While the expedition members were having tea by the fire, the mechanics, in an hour, dried the car using the heating system. They spent the night in the off-road vehicle in comfortable conditions. In the morning, both vehicles continued their journey. The expedition, in practice, proved that ‘Arkhanth’ off-road vehicles can operate in the most challenging conditions.
Later, information came that during the expedition, it was established that harmful plastic found in the coastal soil of the Kola Peninsula brings the Gulf Stream. Today, Russian engineers are developing ways to solve this problem, which became possible, including thanks to the off-road vehicles that participated in the expedition.
All-terrain vehicle “Shaman”
Photo: russian-suv.ru
If we talk about ecology, then at the “Off-roader-2023” exhibition, the head of “Zhukoff Garage” Eugene Abduragimov expressed the following opinion:
“In the country, the popularity of electric off-road vehicles is growing rapidly. They are economical and practically do not pollute the environment. Our development is the electric snow and swamp-going vehicle ‘BRO.’ It was specially created for long journeys, expeditions, and trips to remote, including Arctic, corners of the country, where it is essential not to spoil the biogenic zone of the area. An integral part is also an intelligent control system, which significantly simplifies the lives of users who have not encountered such technology before.”
In general, it is necessary to note that the role of domestic off-road vehicles in Russia and around the world is challenging to overestimate. This industry, without exaggeration, can become the hallmark of domestic car manufacturing, and the best examples of such technology of Russian production can be seen at the annual “Off-Roader” exhibition.
Dmitry Sokolov
Header photo: frame from video/youtube.com/@avtoros