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Three friends set an altitude record in Chile with an electric vehicle

In December 2023, three friends from the Sarganserland-Werdenberg region set an altitude record with an electric vehicle in Chile with "Peak Evolution". Not only were three bidirectional power converters from BRUSA HyPower involved, but an employee is also part of Peak Evolution!

Buchs SG/Berlin – 16.02.2024

Three adventurers after setting the Altitude World Record for an Electric Truck at 5950m, from left David Proeschel, David Koller andPatrick Koller. Original photo: Claudio VonPlanta

Brothers David and Patrik Koller and their friend David Pröschel have spent months and years preparing for this adventure. With the height record attempt, they want to prove to the public that even large and heavy commercial vehicles with electric drives can function reliably under the toughest conditions.

An electric commercial vehicle with a bit of luxury

Terren is a 6.5-ton expedition vehicle that can also function self-sufficiently for several days. This means that it is independent of external power and water supplies. The battery is charged by solar energy using 28 solar panels. The BSC6 bidirectional power converters from BRUSA HyPower charge the traction battery directly with direct current (DC). Bidirectional charging means that the energy can also be used to power the cabin.

David Koller holding the hose of the water filtration system, his brother Patrik overlooking the scene. Original photo: Sidario Balzarini

On the way to the Ojos del Salado

Peak Evolution wants to set the record in Chile at the 6890-metre-high Ojos del Salado volcano. Together with three cameramen led by Claudio von Planta, they set off.

They master loose rock, cold and decreasing oxygen levels in the air. After 16 days on the road, the team had reason to celebrate for the first time! On 26 November 2023, they reached an altitude of 5,950 meters above sea level, a height that no one had ever reached before with an electric vehicle. The world record has been broken!

But they want even more. They want their Terren to be the highest vehicle ever - regardless of the drive system. So the journey continues towards the volcanic summit.

However, they are no longer alone in this endeavor. They have competition. Porsche is on the mountain with special vehicles and a professional racing driver, but conventionally with a gasoline engine.

Terren next to Porsche before the summit attack. Original photo: Sidario Balzarini

It goes even higher!

Ten days after the first altitude record, the news arrives: "We have pulverized our altitude record by another 550 metres!" On December 3, Peak Evolution reaches an altitude of 6500 meters with its Terren. The team is delighted with the vehicle's capabilities. It had mastered the steep inclines on loose ground and the crossing of a bare glacier without any problems.

At this altitude, however, it's over. The team abandons the absolute world record attempt. From there, it would only have been possible to continue with a cable winch. However, using a winch with such a heavy vehicle is not without danger. They did not want to take the risk.

Porsche with its small, lightweight vehicle, however, succeeds. Peak Evolution has to leave the absolute world record for the highest vehicle ever to them.

Sunset at 5300m. Original photo: Sidario Balzarini

Peak Evolution has reached its goal

Peak Evolution is delighted with the Porsche team and leaves the mountain satisfied - even if they had to leave the absolute record to someone else. "We were able to impressively prove that it is possible to be completely self-sufficient with an electric vehicle at high altitudes and to accommodate a team of 6 people 'luxuriously'," they say on the way home. They also say with a grin: "We probably also set the record for the highest solar power plant, the highest toaster, the highest pizza and the highest coffee machine."

BRUSA HyPower congratulates the Peak Evolution team on the world record and the whole project. Keep up the good work!

About BRUSA HyPower

BRUSA HyPower AG, based in Buchs (Swiss Canton St. Gallen), was founded in 2021 as a spin-off of BRUSA Elektronik AG, a leading supplier of power electronics in the e-mobility sector since 1985. BRUSA HyPower specializes in electrical energy conversion systems such as DC/DC converters (direct voltage converters) and onboard charging systems. The company develops power electronics products for on-highway, off-highway as well as stationary applications for its international customers. BRUSA HyPower employs around 300 people, mostly in Switzerland, and has sites in Stuttgart and in the Chinese industrial centers of Shenzhen, Huizhou and Suzhou.

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