CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Army’s aim to field its first hybrid-electric tactical vehicles in 2035 followed by fully-electric platforms in 2050 remains the service’s target goal, an official said Tuesday.
“I think, generally, those are our targets. And I think, again, where will the technology be on the full-up electric vehicles, I think that obviously will play a role [in that target date]. And I think our operational environment also, in addition to the technology, will be a factor in whether that capability is something that helps us,” Tim Goddette, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for sustainment, told attendees at NDIA’s Tactical Wheeled Vehicles conference here.
The Army’s climate strategy, released in 2022, first detailed the goals to get after hybrid-electric-powered tactical vehicles by 2035 and fully-electric capabilities by 2050 with supporting tactical recharging infrastructure.
“Especially when you look at 2035 to field something hybrid, the technology is kind of there now in many instances,” Michael Cadieux, director of the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center, has said previously. “The partners that we have in industry, you’re already almost demonstrating or have prototype vehicles in some sort of hybrid configuration. So in my mind, a milestone like 2035 seems very relevant and very possible given where we’re at today and what we’re seeing from industry” (Defense Daily, March 3 2022).
Goddette on Tuesday presented a projected timeline for Army vehicle electrification efforts, which includes plans to work with hybrid-electric Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) and Humvee prototypes, with an aim to begin production of such platforms no earlier than 2028.
“This kind of lays out on a timeline not necessarily based on where the technology is or what we could do if we had the resources but, really, this is kind of linked to where the resources are today as the driving force for some key events that may happen in vehicle electrification,” Goddette said. “I think the good news is we’re working prototyping fairly hard, so we’re figuring out what we can do. We’re helping to define requirements.”
The Army-led Joint Program Office JLTV last week also published a market survey to help inform requirements for potential production of light tactical wheeled hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV).
“While HEV technology is prevalent in the commercial market, its application in a military setting is far less common. The draft technical performance requirements developed convey the unique military use cases, duty cycles and performance to meet the anticipated operational needs,” the Army wrote in the notice. “By socializing requirements with industry early, the Army will be best positioned to develop achievable requirements and acquisition timelines. Feedback will help to ensure the final HEV acquisition strategy is achievable within cost, schedule and performance constraints.”
The timeline presented on Tuesday also indicates the Army is aiming to begin working with operational prototypes for its Electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV) effort in FY ‘26.
The Army last February confirmed it had approved the prototype requirement for eLRV, with an aim to begin funding in FY ‘24 to start “working the early stages of the program” (Defense Daily, Feb. 28 2023).
An Army notice from October detailed plans to release a Request for Prototype Proposals for eLRV soon and stated that an eventual production contract may be worth an estimated $672 million and cover production of nearly 1,500 vehicles (Defense Daily, Oct. 23 2023).
The eLRV is intended to provide a platform with a reduced acoustic and thermal signature while offering silent mobility and silent watch capabilities, increased dash speed, extended range, greater reliability and reduction in fuel requirements over the current Humvee platform, according to the Army.