As military organizations increasingly adopt electrification, conventional fossil fuel-based drive systems are facing growing challenges. The shift toward a carbon-neutral operational environment is underway, but it must be balanced with maintaining the performance of tracked vehicles. At the same time, it's crucial to establish a strong foundation to meet the demands of future electrified battlefield.
Game-changing technology for future demands
At RENK, we understand the needs of our customers and strive to proactively address them with innovative products and technologies. In line with this commitment, we have recently announced a capability partnership to jointly develop future mobility concepts for military land platforms with global defense and security company, QinetiQ. As part of this partnership, RENK has agreed to progress over 20 years of E-X-Drive® Hybrid Transmission capability development through to the marketplace. We will thereby expand our portfolio of military hybrid transmissions and provide a full range of series and parallel options.
The E-X-Drive® is an advanced electric drive system designed for tracked military vehicles. It integrates electric propulsion with a mechanical drive for enhanced efficiency, improved mobility, and reduced fuel consumption. The system allows for greater control and flexibility in vehicle movement, including pivot turns and better maneuverability over rough terrain. Additionally, it offers higher reliability, lower maintenance costs, and potential weight savings, making it a critical innovation for modern armored vehicles.
Several years of research and development at QinetiQ have led to a highly advanced technology that will improve survivability and performance by enabling radical new vehicle architectures. These could save lives by placing the crew in a safer position within the vehicle or improving its agility and mobility to reduce its exposure to danger. We are pleased to now offer this groundbreaking technology as a valuable addition to our RENK portfolio.
Smaller, lighter, and enhancing mission success – the advantages of E-X-Drive®:
- High power & torque density
- Control differential and range shift minimizes propulsion motor power and torque requirements leading to lower power electronics kVA rating
- Permanent magnet motors give best efficiency
- Small diameter allows installation with compact, lightweight inline final drives
- Simple electro-mechanical actuated gear change mechanism
- Twin traction and steer motors provide redundancy, maximizing fault tolerance
- Safe, reliable, and uninterrupted steering using mechanical regeneration
- Integrated lubrication system
- Integrated mechanical brakes
- No high-pressure hydraulic systems
- Configurable and scalable for a wide range of vehicles
- Modular
RENK Hybrid Solutions
Hybrid military vehicles offer several benefits over traditional diesel-powered vehicles. The most significant ones include reduced fuel consumption and emissions, improved performance, quieter operations, improved agility as well as redundancy and reliability.
The E-X-Drive® hybrid solution is a complementary addition to our broad RENK portfolio and recent technology upgrades to battle proven solutions. The electro-mechanical series hybrid approach will enable RENK product offerings in modern combat vehicle platforms at all weight ranges, including the UGV market under 20 tons.
At RENK, our mission is to empower a secure and sustainable future. We know that with our solutions comes great responsibility. That’s why we work every day to identify our customers' high mission requirements – such as alternate driveline, fuel efficiency, power generation, digitalization, and autonomous driving – and address them with state-of-the-art products and technologies.
In case of further questions get in touch with our correspondent.