AUSA 2022: Allison eyes early 2023 for vehicle tests of eGen Force electric hybrid propulsion system
The eGen Force electric hybrid propulsion unit. (Photo: Allison Transmission)
Allison Transmission used AUSA 2022 on 10-12 October to introduce its eGen Force electric hybrid propulsion solution.
Dynamometer and engine stand tests have begun and these will be followed by vehicle tests in early 2023, said Michael York, executive director for defence engineering at Allison.
Designed for 50t tracked combat vehicles, eGen Force is scalable to 70t MBTs and even ‘meets the requirements’ of the planned Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) for the US Army, the company claimed in a statement.
Allison is partnered with American Rheinmetall Vehicles in the latter’s OMFV proposal.
‘This [eGen Force electric hybrid] product is more than a transmission – it is a power distribution system featuring an electric motor and inverter for on-board vehicle power and parallel hybrid operation,’ said Dana Pittard, VP of defence programmes at Allison Transmission.
He added: ‘This enables engine-off mobility to reduce enemy detection – both acoustic and thermal – ideally increasing soldier survivability.’
Allison consulted end-users for their input before designing eGen Force. The company also reduced developmental risk by including proven components from the X1100-3B1 transmission that is installed on the Abrams MBT.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders
Hanwha Aerospace’s tracked K9 Thunder 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled howitzer has had notable success in the market over the past few years in Europe and Asia, with Poland alone ordering 316 systems.
-
De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems
How strategic manufacturing partnership solves the industrialisation triad — Scale, Compliance and Cost — for hyper-growth defence tech innovators.
-
Battlefield mobility, made in the UK
How does Britain ensure that we can preserve the lives of our soldiers and allies – now and in the future – with homegrown innovation and resilient domestic manufacturing? At Pearson Engineering, we are proud to be a central part of the answer to this increasingly important question.