News

Volvo, Lockheed & Radian Build TACOM Tractor for US Army

January 16, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

Volvo Trucks North America Inc. (Greensboro, NC), Lockheed Martin Control Systems (Johnson City, NY) and Radian Inc. (Alexandria, VA) recently announced they are building a Class 8 tractor powered by a hybrid electric propulsion system for a US Army program. The project calls for delivery of the demonstrator truck to the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM, Selfridge, MI) by December 2000.According to the companies, the hybrid electric truck will be propelled at low speeds by electric motors and at high speeds by a diesel engine. The propulsion system will combine a 460hp diesel engine with two 250hp electric motors. Lead-acid batteries charged by an on-board generator will power the electric motors.According to Volvo, engineers are currently overseeing the integration of Lockheed Martin's HybriDrive propulsion system with the driveline and electric systems on a Volvo VNL highway tractor."This project is an opportunity for Volvo and its partners to define the transportation model of the future," said Marc F. Gustafson, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America. "Our work holds great promise to find solutions to society's desire for greater mobility, a cleaner environment and safer roadways."Gustafson continued, "This is truly a collaborative effort that brings together the brightest minds from the Army, Lockheed Martin, Radian, academia and Volvo to apply technology that we expect will provide real business advantages for motor carriers in the near future."