Zelder: Germany import for Gibbs Quadski

The German import for Gibbs Quadski was taken over by the commercial agency Zelder Amphibious Vehicles, based in Wittichenau, in November 2013. After Siegmund Zelder’s team had fought for a road approval of the amphibious vehicle in Germany for around a year, the breakthrough came at the beginning of November 2014. “The single-seater model Gibbs Quadski is approved as a ‘car other vehicle’, and Zelder Amphibious Vehicles is now the only commercial agency for this vehicle in Germany,” says Raphaela Zelder. In order to whiz across land and water with this quad ski, you need a car driver’s license as well as a sports boat driver’s license.

Germany import for Gibbs Quadski: amphibious vehicle with street legal

The jester Gibbs Quadski comes from the USA. The development started more than 10 years ago, meanwhile the amphibious vehicle is mature, is produced and sold. The catch with the introduction to Europe has so far been the lack of street approval – only with this does it make sense to bring the amphibious vehicle into our fields. The Zelders have obtained approval for the single-seater model for Germany and have now also taken over the German import for Gibbs Quadskis. At the beginning of November 2014, the Quadski XL – the two-seater model – arrived in Siegmund Zelder’s workshop, where they are now dealing with its conversion and all legal issues relating to registration; Zelder reckons it will take half a year, then everything should be sorted out. The Quadski XL will be presented for the first time in Europe at the ‘Boot’ trade fair in Düsseldorf from January 17th to 25th, 2015.

Future plans, price & maintenance

In any case, the plan is to obtain approval for all of Europe and thus cover the European market. The demand is great. The single-seater model ranks at around 42,000 euros net. The price includes the complex conversions for the German market. Zelder amphibious vehicles take care of maintenance and spare parts storage. “With increasing sales figures, contract workshops will be created all over Germany”, plans Raphaela Zelder.

Gibbs High Speed ​​Amphibian (HSA): the technology

So far, the driving pleasure on the water has been unsatisfactory for personal use with sports amphibious vehicles – the amphibians are just slow. The High Speed ​​Amphibian (HSA) technology patented by Gibbs allows more speed: advertised at 70 kilometers per hour on land and water.
Graham Jenkins from Gibbs in England is an enthusiastic driver: “It’s a completely different way of driving, the quad ski is like a sports car. With my driving style, I would probably tip over with an ATV. ”The transformation from land to water happens at the push of a button and only takes a few seconds.

Technical specifications

The Quadski is equipped with the four-cylinder engine of the BMW motorcycle K 1300 in combination with a Gibbs water jet propulsion system. In connection with the Gibbs HSA technology, the quad ski hull offers a stable gliding surface and lateral support for fast-reacting and safe control in the water. Gibbs waterjet units are lighter and more compact than conventional waterjet systems used in the shipping industry and offer a high level of thrust and maneuverability in the water.

Gibbs Humdinga

The third, larger and stronger model from the Gibbs series is planned to be the Gibbs Humdinga amphibious vehicle, based on the Hummer H1 off-road vehicle. Humdinga is still in the prototype stage, but Siegmund Zelder has already driven it in England. “Brilliant” is his comment. The use for this vehicle will go beyond the military and water protection; a civilian version is also planned. On land, the Humdinga reaches a top speed of 160 km / h, and its engine has an output of at least 260 kW (350 hp). The amphibious vehicle with a jet pump and special underbody architecture brings it to 65 km / h on water. At the push of a button, Humdinga transforms from off-road vehicle to boat in 12 seconds. chk

Contact:> Gibbs Quadski Germany
Contact:> Gibbs Sports Amphibians