Oshkosh Defense has developed a new version of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) – a silent drive, hybrid-electric vehicle, called the eJLTV. The new hybrid-electric eJLTV is based on the JLTV currently in use by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, but has a silent drive, extended silent watch, enhanced fuel economy by more than 20%, and increased exportable power.
“We developed the eJLTV to offer our military customers an affordable way to electrify the light tactical wheeled vehicle fleet without compromising performance or protection,” said John Bryant, Executive Vice President for Oshkosh Corporation and President of Oshkosh Defense.
The eJLTV has a 30 kWh battery pack that allows it to operate silently, eliminating the noise and heat signatures associated with diesel engines. It is capable of charging its lithium-ion battery while in use, fully recharging in 30 minutes. This surmounts the problem of the need for a charging infrastructure, which has been a major challenge to the electrification of the tactical wheeled vehicle fleet. The vehicle also eliminates the need for a towed generator as it can provide an export power capacity of up to 115kW.
The U.S. Army plans to reopen the JLTV program competition this year and will issue a follow-on production contract in September 2022. The follow-on contract is valued at $6.5 Billion US, and includes an additional 15,468 vehicles. Companies such as AM General, Navistar Defense, and GM Defense are expected to compete alongside Oshkosh.
“While the U.S. Army has not requested a hybrid-electric JLTV as part of the JLTV recompete, the eJLTV proves that Oshkosh Defense has the team and technical capabilities to produce this highly capable vehicle today,” said Bryant.