When disaster strikes, this amphibious truck rolls (or floats) into action

By Stephen Edelstein February 17, 2014

It’s fun to imagine which vehicle would be best for surviving the zombie apocalypse, but what about something designed to deal with actual disasters?

Gibbs Amphibians has found a niche building truly all-terrain vehicles like the ATV/jet-ski-hybrid Quadski, but its latest project is a little more serious.

The company has licensed its Humdinga amphibious truck to Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd (ST Kinetics), in the hopes that it can be put to work during tsunami relief efforts.

The 12-year deal will allow ST Kinetics to produce and sell the Humdinga in Asia, where it is expected to be marketed to first responders as a fast patrol vehicle. Think of it as a smaller, nimbler version of the World War II DUKW.

The Humdinga is 21.5 feet long and is powered by a turbodiesel engine. On land, it has all-wheel drive and disc brakes, and can manage “highway speeds.” For water cruising, the wheels retract into the body/hull, and a jet propulsion system is used, allowing the vehicle to operate in shallow water.

In the water, the Humdinga has a top speed of 30 mph. Gibbs says it is the only amphibious truck that can exceed 9 mph in the water, although the list of other amphibious trucks probably isn’t that long.

The Humdinga can carry up to seven people or up to 1,653 pounds of payload. Since it can do that virtually anywhere, it really does seem like the ideal disaster-response vehicle.

Gibbs holds several patents for its amphibious-vehicle technologies, and hopes to sign more licensing agreements in the near future. So perhaps we’ll see more floating cars (and trucks, and quads) soon.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Photo Galleries

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Mobile

The 6 best car phone holders in 2024

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger with an iPhone 14 Pro.

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Installing a car phone mount in your vehicle is the best way to make sure that you have easy access to your smartphone when behind the wheel. While you shouldn't be using your phone while driving, having it mounted on your windshield, dashboard, vent, or anywhere else will let you take a quick glance when you're using a navigation app, or to change your playlist when you stop for a traffic light, for example. Instead of having to pick up your device, it will be easier and faster to get these done while it's on a car phone mount for less time of having your eyes off the road.

Cars

Should you buy a used EV? Maybe, but it’s complicated

Electric cars are slowly but surely getting cheaper. Over the past year or so, Ford and Tesla have been discounting their most popular electric cars while other brands, like Rivian, are laying the groundwork for all-new cheaper models.

But you'd still be hard-pressed to call electric cars cheap, and buying a completely new car in the first place is a hurdle in and of itself for many potential buyers. According to Statista, used car sales represented around 74% of all car sales in 2022, and while this figure is likely to change as electric cars get cheaper, the fact remains that most car buyers would prefer to save cash and buy used rather than buy something new.
Buying a new car ain't what it used to be
Buying a car with an electric powertrain doesn't necessarily need to be all that different from buying an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. But there's a little more to it than that.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Ford Mustang Mach-E: Will the R2 be a better buy?

Side of the Rivian R2

The Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it could end up being the go-to EV for drivers who want a decently affordable electric car with a rugged look and feel. But when it finally launches to the public, it won't be the only option in its price range -- the Ford Mustang Mach-E could be one of its main competitors.

The Mustang Mach-E may not be quite as rugged-feeling as the Rivian R2, but it does have a lot going for it -- like an increasingly low price, sleek design, and comfortable interior. Is one of these EVs better than the other? We put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The first thing to note about the two cars is their design, as they’re pretty different. The Rivian R2 is built to be a little more rugged and outdoorsy, while the Mach-E instead has a sleeker and sportier look to it. Both cars look stylish and modern.