High-Speed Amphibious Truck Heads for Southeast Asia

Gibbs Sports Amphibians Inc. has licensed its high-speed amphibian vehicle system to Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd.

ST Kinetics plans to commercialize a truck based on Gibbs' prototype Humdinga, a 22-foot-long amphibious vehicle designed for emergency-crew use. The vehicle, which can carry seven people and half a ton of cargo, is powered by a 300-hp diesel engine. The unit can reach highway speeds on land and zip through the water at 30 mph.

Gibbs says ST Kinetics intends to develop a vehicle for government agencies in southeast Asia to be used for rescue operations during floods or tsunamis. The deal is Gibbs' first licensing arrangement for its amphibious technology.

The company's system combines a planning hull, retractable wheels and jet drive. Gibbs currently uses the architecture in a $40,000 vehicle called the Quadski that acts as an all-terrain vehicle on land and a jet ski on the water. The company has sold 200 Quadskis since its introduction last year and hopes to sell 1,500 this year.