If you can have your cake and eat it, too, why not have a truck that can go on water?
Gibbs Technologies is now giving demonstrations of its 30-foot/15-person amphibious truck called the Phibian. While there are plenty of sportsmen/sportswomen who could think of plenty of good uses for this, Gibbs is aiming this more for the rescue vehicle market. That is likely why the demonstration was timed to coincide with the annual conference of the American Society of Naval Engineers.
While there have been a few other ambitious amphibious products over the years, the Phibian’s credentials may prove to be quite useful. Power comes from two Steyr marine twin turbo diesels that produce 500 hp total. On land that power can be used to drive the front wheels, rear wheels, or four-wheel drive. On the sea the engines are sent through jet drives. Gibbs claims that the Phibian is capable of 30 mph on the water and 80 mph on land.
Those who live near cities with “duck” tours that use the same vehicle for land and water may recognize the shape of the Phibian. The tourist vehicles are usually WWII surplus, and Gibbs had nothing to do with their creation, but Gibbs Chairman Neil Jenkins pointed out that the technology for beach landing craft has not really changed since the days of the Normandy Invasion.
Gibbs is not new to the amphibious car/truck world. The company’s name was last in the minds of the automotive press nearly a decade ago with the Aquada — a convertible that looked like a cross between a Miata and a ski boat. Richard Branson even set a record for crossing the English Channel in an Aquada in 2004.
The Phibian is still a little while away from protecting your local waterways. The amphitruck will be built in the U.S., but Gibbs is still narrowing down locations between Michigan, Texas, Florida and the Carolinas.
source: The Detroit Bureau additional photos: New York Times
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