Hybrid Electric Future Heavy Truck Demonstrators Begin Testing

27 March 2007

The demonstrator FTTS-MSV hybrid.

Two hybrid electric future heavy truck demonstrators developed by Armor Holdings for the US Army that are powered by UQM electric propulsion systems began Military Utility Assessment (MUA) testing this month. Armor Holdings acquired the tactical vehicle business from Stewart and Stevenson, who originally had been working on this version of the future vehicle, in 2006.

The Army’s Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS)  Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV) is a parallel heavy-duty hybrid designed to be the basis for a multi-functional single tactical truck family that will replace the 2½-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle, the 5-ton Medium Tactical Vehicle, the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) and the Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicle in the military inventory.

FTTS MSV propulsion system. Click to enlarge.

The vehicle is spec’d to deliver increased fuel efficiency with extended supply ranges of 600 to 900 miles (depending upon tactical or operational conditions), up from the current 300 miles, with no increase in fuel payload. On-board power generation is also a requirement.

The current parallel hybrid powertrain, developed by Armor Holdings in partnership with AVL, integrates an 8.8-liter Caterpillar C9 diesel engine, an Allison 7-speed automatic transmission, a custom 120 kW UQM hybrid electric motor, and a 336V, 3 kWh Cobasys NiMH battery pack.

The testing, which places the vehicle in operational service to perform a variety of mission assignments, is being conducted at Ft. Lewis, Washington.  Prior to the MUA testing, the two demonstrator vehicles successfully completed nearly 3,000 miles of testing at the Michigan Proving Grounds and the US Army’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds.