Going off-road is always challenging for normal vehicles and that is why all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were invented.
They were meant to easily handle terrain that would just stop any other vehicle. But there are ATVs, and there’s the Sherp, as you can see here:
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Video credit: Rumble
Don’t be deceived by its 44.3 horsepower Kubota V150T engine that propels it to 24.5 mph max on dry land and 3.7 mph on water.
The Sherp wasn’t built for speed but for the ability to travel through extreme terrain in the harshest conditions. At 3,527 lbs, the Sherp can handle both land and water with ease.
Evgeny Astakhov, the sales manager for Sherp North America, said: “Even when you are struggling to cross terrain, the Sherp will get you where you want to go.
“It feels amazing – especially when you go from the ice to the water.”
Sherp is the brainchild of Alexei Garagashyan, a mechanic from St. Petersburg, Russia. He came up with a prototype in 2012 with mass-production starting three years later.
Evgeny explained: “The vehicle is built in Ukraine and assembled in Canada.
“Since 2017 we have sold over 200 units in North America and we have six dealers in Canada and 15 in the US.”
At $107,000, the Sherp caters to both recreational and specialized markets such as rescue missions, mining, and exploration.
The vehicle’s exhaust can be used to control the pressure of the tires to adapt to any terrain.
“My very favorite thing about the Sherp is the tires – I love the tires,” Evgeny said.
The tires can be inflated and deflated within 40 seconds depending on the terrain you need to cross.
Evgeny explained: “You would need to inflate the tires when you are crossing thick ice or deep snow, but if you want to cross water or swamps you would deflate them and it would go really smooth.”
Each tire houses an additional fuel tank, a necessity for a vehicle that can find itself in the middle of nowhere and no gas station within hundreds of miles.
One tire can take in 55 liters of fuel for a total of 285 liters, including the main tank. This enables the Sherp to travel an impressive 3,000 km without refueling.
The Sherp can house two passengers in the front and four in the back but can cram up to 10 people in during an emergency.
While most would assume a workhorse like the Sherp would be uncomfortable, Evgeny assures that it is a very smooth and comfortable ride.
“You think that when you go on the rocks it feels like the Sherp won’t go over it, but it actually just feels really good.”
This is why despite not having high speed or horsepower, the Sherp is still the king of the (off) road.
“It’s a great feeling when you’re crossing the really rough terrain where regular equipment can’t,” Evgeny continued.
“It feels really terrific.”
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