- Through a pilot program with the United States Government Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Volta developed and delivered an anti-idle solution for Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles with a hybrid conversion kit prototype
- Initial testing demonstrates a 60,000-unit fleet of FMTVs equipped with the Volta system could prevent 1.3 billion pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year and save $380 Million in annual fuel and maintenance costs
In alignment with the United States Army’s Climate Plan to slash emissions in half by 2030, Voltagen Power Solutions developed and successfully tested an anti-idle prototype with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in support of Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS). Voltagen is providing its technology for testing in a line of Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs) to not only reduce carbon emissions from idling, but also lower fuel, maintenance, and depreciation costs on each vehicle equipped with the Voltagen system. With more than a quarter million tactical vehicles in the field, Voltagen’s designed the kit auxiliary system for easy retrofitting.
Rigorous initial testing at the Army’s Power Energy Vehicle Environmental Laboratory (PEVEL) demonstrated the Volta system reduced over 70 percent of idle time while maintaining a 2,000W load and running cabin air conditioning at high ambient temperatures. Conservatively, this equates to a reduction of 21,700 lbs of CO2 and $6,340 per year in fuel and maintenance costs per vehicle, not accounting for savings from depreciation or engine wear. Across a 60,000-unit fleet of FMTVs, the savings could be over 1.3 billion lbs of CO2 and $380 million each year.
Voltagen’s anti-idling system provides auxiliary power designed for easy, in-field installation to work independently from the vehicle’s factory system. At the core of the solution, the upfit adds li-ion energy storage and a secondary 8,700W alternator to recharge it while the vehicle is in transit. The prototype included Volta’s FLEX energy storage pack with 13.6-kilowatt hours of storage. The Volta system is 30-40% lighter and smaller than LFP solutions as it uses automotive-specified nickel manganese cobalt li-ion cells, which are denser. Once the system is installed, operators can select when to use the backup power to reduce idle time, thus lowering the second-duty cycle and offsetting fuel and maintenance costs.
With a primary goal to strengthen national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military, the DIU is the only DoD organization focused exclusively on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military at commercial speeds. The collaboration with PEO CS&CSS focused on integrating an idle-reduction capability in the FMTV, the Army’s standard two-and-a-half to 10-ton trucks.
As the backbone of basic military operations, FMTVs serve the purpose of general resupply, ammunition resupply, maintenance and recovery, engineer support missions, and more. When equipped with the Voltagen system, FMTVs can leverage the automotive-based energy storage pack to reduce idle time without compromising the vehicle’s operations performance and ensure cabin comfort for military personnel.
Founded in 2014, Voltagen leverages a modular design approach and access to the same li-ion technology used by leading automakers to provide customers with systems that don’t compromise on noise, emissions, cost or safety. Voltagen delivers a custom, high-value solution for every mobile application that’s quiet, emission-free and safety certified. To date, there are over 5,000 Volta-equipped RV and fleet vehicles on the road.
About Voltagen Power Solutions
Based in Holland, MI, Voltagen Power Solutions designs, builds, and services advanced energy storage systems that replace or complement fossil-fuel generators with compact, sustainable, and power-dense solutions. Continuing the proven legacy of Volta Power Systems, Voltagen delivers automotive-grade power systems to OEM partners while expanding into new markets and next-generation product innovations. To learn more, visit https://voltagenpower.com/.
