Partisan Motors recently presented the new Partisan Maulwurf family of off-road vehicles for use in mines and quarries. Partisan Motors, on the basis of the Partisan Platform modular vehicle system developed by its specialists, presented a whole series of Partisan Maulwurf vehicles, which it says are ideally suited for use as the main vehicle for transporting personnel and materials in the toughest mining conditions (opencast and underground).
Cited features of the Partisan Maulwurf series include a robust chassis to provide exceptional mobility, flotation and durability with an optimum power-to-weight ratio; very spacious interior, having a flat floor without a central tunnel; power reserve of up to 1,000 km; universal design options covering all the needs of the mining industry; load capacity up to 3.5 t; all the bodies of the series being unified as much as possible; logistically simple delivery of standard components and units; and several drive options
In 2017, Partisan Motors, represented by its Founder Yuri Postnikov, presented a prototype of the Partisan One model. “The off-road vehicle aroused a flurry of interest around the world, and publications about it were published on the websites of all prominent automotive and business Internet resources.” After that, Postnikov was approached by specialists of one of the German mining companies with a proposal to study the possibility of creating a car for their needs on the basis of Partisan One. “This development was the prerequisite for the development of a range of electric vehicles for deep earth work in potash mines, which perfectly match their purpose and the most difficult operating conditions.”
“The use of a vehicle to transport personnel in potash mines imposes very serious requirements on its design, passability, reliability, cleanliness of exhaust and maintainability. The vehicle must be very spacious and, at the same time, manoeuverable in narrow underground corridors, confidently overcome slopes and ascents up to 45%, have large wheels for smooth movement on the rocky surface,” while also having a strong spatial protection of passengers, be extremely reliable and repairable in underground conditions. “A special requirement is the cleanliness of the exhaust, and best of all, the total absence of such a requirement, in order to reduce the cost of ventilation of the mine and increase the number of vehicles for the transportation of personnel in the vast underground spaces, comparable, both in size and length of roads, with any large Western European city.”
“It is this very serious task that Partisan Motors says it has been able to meet. On the basis of the Partisan Platform modular vehicle system we have developed, the entire Partisan Maulwurf family of vehicles can be fully prepared and put into production within a short period of time for use as passenger transport or material transport in the mining industry (open and underground).”
For this purpose, Partisan Motors has developed a fully electric version of the Partisan Maulwurf with a quick-assembling body made of high-strength steel, stainless steel profiles with a closed rectangular cross section. The interior of the double floor is filled with electric batteries that supply the motors. Under the hood is a self-contained unit with a turbo-generator for charging the on-board batteries. Each wheel is driven by its own powerful electric motor, which eliminates many heavy and bulky mechanisms such as gearboxes, dispensers, cardan shafts, reduces weight and dramatically increases the reliability, durability and maintainability of the vehicle. Thus, the car even at the maximum load is capable to have acceleration dynamics of a sports supercar.
In addition to the three-door version of the Kurz with a short wheelbase (5-7 seats) and 5-door version of the Lang with a long wheelbase (8-11 seats), there is a 7-door version of the Jumbo with an extra-long wheelbase (13-15 seats), as well as a series of Pick-Ups Cargo with a single and double cab and different wheelbase.
The design features with a spatial load-bearing frame made of stainless steel profiles of a closed section allow for the realisation of an almost busy inner space of the SUV, the maximum possible protection of the crew, and an absolutely flat floor without a protruding tunnel in the middle provides easy access and movement of fully equipped miners inside the vehicle. “The impressive design of the independent air suspension on the transverse levers ensures high smooth running, speed and manoeuvrability, and allows for a wide range of ground clearance adjustment.”
“The long service life and durability of the Partisan Maulwurf series is achieved by careful development and use of reliable, high output components for assembly. All Partisan Maulwurf series vehicles are maximally unified through the use of components and aggregates of large series, which greatly simplifies the supply of spare parts for the mine fleet. The Partisan Maulwurf series vehicles can be retrofitted over time and with new requirements and standards. Such a vehicle with planned upgrades can be operated for 50 years or more, saving resources and budget. The logistically simple delivery of serial components and units will limit not only repairs and scheduled maintenance, but also the modernisation of the vehicle underground in the mining environment. The Partisan Maulwurf series can be produced with any other drive – all-electric, hybrid – in addition to the version with a conventional combustion engine. The design concept used here allows the vehicle to be manufactured to fit virtually any size and application.”
