Tough enough to tackle the Australian Outback, the Land Cruiser 78 is now officially tough enough to transport COVID-19 vaccines, too.
To the chagrin of perhaps every single overlander, Toyota’s venerable 70 Series Land Cruiser has never officially been offered Stateside. Because of that, it’s always bittersweet to read news of the iconic 4×4.
B Medical Systems’ CF850 vaccine refrigerator
This time it’s in the news because it has earned the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Performance, Quality and Safety (PQS) pre-qualification for quality of medical devices and equipment. Outfitted with a massive 396-liter refrigerator (that can fit 400 vaccine packages), the Land Cruiser 78 is officially capable of making the rounds to distribute the much-needed vaccine in developing countries.
READ MORE: What to Bring Overlanding?
This is more than just somebody bolting a fridge inside a 78. The rig was jointly by Toyota and B Medical Systems to ensure the setup could keep vaccines at the determined temperature for prolonged periods of time. To be specific, with its independent battery, the refrigerator can maintain 8° Celsius internal temperatures for approximately 16 hours without a power supply.
Like I said earlier, it’s bittersweet to be reminded that the 70 Series is out there trucking around, taking on the most challenging duties in the world while we’re deprived of its majesty. At least it’s comforting to know that it’s helping improve the world.
Header image: Toyota
