Support CleanTechnica's work througha Substack subscription,on Patreon, oron Stripe. Help us produce all of thehigh-quality, original content we publish week after weekdespite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.Drones, uncrewed ground vehicles, field robots, and laser weapons are the latest manifestations of the electro-centric military of the future. That seems to have lit a fire under the US Army. The Army has been adopting EVs at a pace that any snail can beat with one hand tied behind its back. However, suddenly they are interested in a new tactical vehicle that can deliver enough wattage to power up electronic systems and equipment, including drones and other weaponry, whether the vehicle is parked or in motion.
Another Step On The Long, Slow Journey To EVs
The Army is aiming to ditch its familiar but outdated High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (Humvees for short) and introduce a new vehicle more suitable for the electrified war of the future. They have tapped Ford, GM, and the off-road specialist BC Customs to produced prototypes under the ISV-H (Infantry Squad Vehicle – Heavy) program.
Despite the “heavy” in ISV-H, the ISV-H program stipulates a lighter, more agile vehicle than the Humvee. In the interest of speedy delivery, the Army is also aiming to make use of vehicles already in production. A third ask is for a vehicle that Army staff can maintain and repair without relying on specialized or proprietary contracts, in other words, the right to repair.
As one of the three automakers to fit the bill, BC Customs seems closest to the bone. BC Customs won its contract in partnership with the North Carolina firm Raglan, which specializes in electric, hybrid, and other advanced propulsion systems with an eye on military applications. Raglan also cites “onboard power generation, storage, and distribution systems to support energy-intensive mission requirements” among its core capabilities.
In addition to the new collaboration with BCC, Raglan further notes that it holds contracts with the US Special Operations Command and the Air Force Global Strike Command, alongside other development programs supported by the Operational Energy Innovation Office.
What Is This Operational Energy Innovation Office Of Which You Speak?
The Operational Energy Innovation Office is of interest considering the sudden U-turn in federal energy policy last year, which emphasizes fossil fuels. However, the immediate impact of that policy has fallen primarily upon civilian users. The military world, not so much, and OEI is apparently still on task.
OEI comes under the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War [aka the Department of Defense] for Energy Resilience & Optimization, which notes that its innovation programs “harness the latest science and technology to improve the Department’s energy and environmental performance, reduce costs, and advance mission capabilities.”
EVs, EVEVs, And BC Customs
The new contracts mark a key step in a competitive application process. Under its contract with the US Army, BC Customs states that it will “manufacture and deliver three (3) ISV-H vehicles’ utilizing Raglan electronic control and export power systems for Government evaluation as the competition advances toward a potential follow-on production award.”
For those of you keeping score at home, the contract comes under the Other Transaction Agreement program, which provides the Army with the ability to acquire new gear more quickly. “The program has an approved Army Acquisition Objective of 606 platforms and is intended to provide critical operational capabilities, including exportable power to support tactical operations and onboard power to enable mission command while maneuvering,” BC Customs explains, with 606 platforms referring to the number of vehicles.
I’ve reached out to BC Customs to see if any propulsion angle related to EVs is in play. In the meantime, a look-see at BC Customs’s website indicates that the company is already anticipating off-road jobs for EVs, military or not.
BC Customs’s entry into the vehicle electrification scene is the new SXV-EV1, which the company describes as its first EV in its tactical fleet.
“BC Customs, dissatisfied with the industry’s standard direction for electric vehicles in hostile scenarios, designed the SXV-EV1 with the end-users in mind, ensuring a reliable and viable electric option for individuals serving in the field,” BC Customs states.
The SXV-EV1 is a collaboration with Hypercraft, which has this to say about the difference between its electro-tech and legacy energy platforms:
“Legacy propulsion is a tactical liability.
“High thermal signatures and predictable acoustic profiles are no longer just limitations—they are targets. On the modern battlefield, traditional logistical ‘tails’ are vulnerabilities that compromise mission integrity.”
“Our systems allow operators to modulate energy in real-time—transitioning from total acoustic stealth to maximum kinetic output through a single interface,” Hypercraft adds.
An EV With An On-Board Diesel Engine
Before you get too excited, the SXV-EVI is not a full battery-powered EV. It’s also not an extended range EV of the type first pioneered by General Motors through the short-lived Chevy Volt. The Volt provided EV-curious drivers with the experience of an all-electric powertrain, alongside the security blanket of an on-board gas tank. Once the car battery is spent, a gas-powered generator kicks in to cover the rest of the trip, making the old “range anxiety” canard irrelevant.
Nope, it’s not that, not exactly. BC Customs describes the SXV-EV1 as a dual-mode vehicle. Developed with Hypercraft, the SXV-EV1 hosts a diesel engine alongside an electric motor.
Diesel fuel aside, the SXV-EV1 is capable of moving around in full electric mode as needed. “This innovative design offers the range and durability of a diesel engine with the ability to seamlessly switch to silent mode for specified distances, ensuring adaptability in various operational scenarios,” BC Customs explains.
“The SXV-EV1 also features on-the-fly charging while driving and export power capabilities, transforming the vehicle into a mobile generator,” the company adds.
The technology is also available as a retrofit kit for the company’s existing SXV vehicles. “By making the SXV-EV1 technology accessible for retrofitting, BC Customs ensures that servicemen and women can benefit from the advancements in electric vehicle technology without the need for an entirely new fleet deployment,” the company emphasizes.
More EVs For The US Army
Among other signs of interest in EVs, in 2023 the the Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the U.S. Army in October hosted a display of the Humvee Charge concept vehicle, a hybrid developed by Humvee manufacturer AM General. Not to be confused with General Motors, AM General made a point of using off-the-shelf elements to assemble the diesel-electric concept.
Readers, if you know whatever happened to the Humvee Charge, drop a note in the discussion thread. Meanwhile, the Army has sent out EV feelers in other directions, including a cab-less hybrid electric truck that can ferry supplies out to danger zones without putting drivers and crews in danger.
The Army has also been experimenting with anti-idling kits, which are battery retrofits that kick in to power on-board electronic systems while a vehicle is stationary, as a better-performing alternative compared to running a gas or diesel engine in idle mode. The Army points out that its vehicles are parked about 75% of the time when in use, so the fuel savings is substantial. So is the tactical advantage of silent running with a minimal heat signature.
The new M1E3 Abrams tank represents another move in the electrification direction. Unveiled in prototype form earlier this year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the M1E3 sports a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system.
The big question is, whatever happened to the JLTV program? JLTV (short for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) was supposed to fulfill certain mobility needs for both the Army and the US Marine Corps, as indicated by the “Joint” in JLTV. The program did not necessarily call for full electrification, though GM’s Defense branch did produce an all-electric prototype.
Aside from contractor difficulties, one shortcoming surfaced back in 2022. As initially designed, the JLTV could generate only 12.8-14.6 kilowatts. In comparison, the ISV-H program asks for up to 60 kilowatts, enough to power up drones and electronic weapons as well as communications gear and other systems, whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary.
“Tactical vehicles are increasingly expected to do more than move troops from one point to another. They are becoming mobile nodes that can carry sensors, recharge systems, support command posts, and keep networks running closer to the front line. explains Colton Jones of Defence Blog.
“The Army is looking for a system that can move rapidly across long distances, deploy by air, sea, and land, and continue to support communications and battlefield systems while on the move,” Jones elaborates. “The vehicle is intended for use at division and brigade level, where mobile units increasingly need to operate in smaller, dispersed formations,” Colton elaborates.
Keep an eye on those other two automakers for more vehicle electrification activity. As reported by Defense Post last month, GM Defense already has an Infantry Squad Vehicle program under way based on the Chevy Colorado, which puts the Chevy Silverado in play as a hybrid EV, while Ford makes its pitch for a variant of its F-Series Super Duty pickup truck.
*Photo (cropped): The off-road specialist BC Customs will compete against Ford and General Motors for a new Army vehicle program that makes more space for hybrid EVs (SXV-EVi courtesy of BC Customs). *
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