Straight Out of Mad Max "Arriero" Buggy Imagined As Capable Mule Replacement

What we see here is actually a cargo vehicle named Arriero (Spanish for muleteer), designed for highly inaccessible areas around the world. Specifically, the coffee-growing regions of the Andes mountains. Why so specific? I have no idea. Maybe designer Eddie Mauro a.k.a. Edgar Sarmiento García, thinks it’s the next niche market that hasn’t yet seen any motorized development. After all, they still use mules to carry cargo through the mountain passes and jungle.

This vehicle is supposed to replace the famed Burro and bring some urbanization to the region. Can it meet the needs of the people? I don’t know for sure but it seems straight out of a Mad Max scene. The fact that the designer decided to keep the horseback saddle as part of the design gives it even more Mad Max appeal.

Because it's designed to deal with mountainous regions, the Arriero looks like it’s been built to survive tumble after tumble even after the rider is no longer alive. A basic body structure is made from pipes and welded into the body and engine compartment. From that body, four arms stick out, and at their ends, feature wheels that you know for a fact are going to cross whatever you throw at them.

Hell, they look like they could even handle some water-striding given the necessary power and revolutions. Massive suspension springs make sure each tire moves as independently as possible, keeping precious cargo safe and offering higher overall stability.

As I mentioned, the designer chose to keep the old horse and mule saddle as part of the vehicle design. This helps would-be farmers transition fairly easily towards a more motorized future, that future being an electric one.

Yes, this is electrically driven, with each wheel including its own motor for perfect control. The motors are powered by the battery system located underneath the saddle. How much power this vehicle is to push out isn’t specified, as it is still just a design and will probably stay that way.

Now, being a ride meant to carry heavy loads, you can be sure it will have a higher power output that any one mule. For those loads, the Arriero can be transformed into a massive carrying platform. Two large cargo holds or platforms, also made from rudimentary pipes, can be attached to the front and back.

It’s these two cargo racks that make this idea really shine. Because it’s meant to help farmers carry coffee, which usually comes in 50-kg (110-lbs) bags, the racks are absolutely perfect for carrying multiple bags of anything.

Whether you farm hemp in Texas or coffee in the Andes, or maybe just hunt gators down in Florida, this seems like the perfectly capable machine to achieve just that.