US firm Oshkosh Defence has unveiled a hybrid-electric variant of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) called eJLTV. The company has been developing, testing and evolving hybrid-electric variants of its heavy and medium-duty tactical wheeled vehicles for many years now.
The JLTV is used by the US Army and US Marine Corps.
The eJLTV uses a silent hybrid-electric drivetrain and delivers fuel efficiency improvements of 20% as compared to the diesel-powered JLTV. The eJLTV does not require an established charging station, and its lithium-ion battery can fully recharge within 30 minutes while the diesel engine is in use.
For the military, lack of charging infrastructure in operational areas presents one of the most significant challenges to the widespread electrification of their tactical wheeled vehicle fleets.
The eJLTV has a battery capacity of 30kWh with an opportunity for growth and can provide export power of up to 115kW, eliminating the need for a towed generator.
The US Army is slated to issue a follow-on production contract in September 2022 for an additional 15,468 JLTVs valued at $ 6.5 billion. The contract will run for five years and include another five years of options, ensuring that production will run through FY32.
Oshkosh Defence will also develop and manufacture the US Postal Service’s Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV). The NGDV programme calls for the delivery of between 50,000 and 165,000 zero-emission battery electric vehicles and fuel-efficient low-emission internal combustion engine vehicles over ten years.