GM reveals Next-Gen tactical vehicle with electric Silent Drive tech
GM rolled out its new “Next Gen” tactical vehicle prototype at the AUSA conference this week packing electric drive motors at the front and rear axles that enable Silent Drive and Silent Watch technologies to make the trucks harder to detect on the battlefield.
Based on the off-road focused Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD ZR2 pickup frame, the GM Defense version pairs GM’s 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel engine to a 12-module battery pack that send electrons to the “Silent Drive” electric motors powering each axle. GM says the quiet combo can help the big truck make its way through high threat zones without calling undue attention to themselves, and enable the truck to power a number of battlefield accessories.
“Our Next Gen vehicle is a game-changing mobility solution that delivers tactically significant capabilities by integrating GM’s proven commercial technologies,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “Our warfighters deserve the latest technology that industry can offer in order to gain and maintain competitive advantage over our adversaries. Our Next Gen mobility solution can be customized and fielded now.”
The GM Defense Next Gen tactical truck is currently being offered at AUSA in two-, four-, and six-seat configurations. The truck is built to support multi-mission capabilities, including command and control, launched effects, network extension, counter unmanned aerial systems anti-armor, casualty evacuation, and other critical missions.
The official press release is otherwise light on specs like kWh, armor levels, cabin filtration specs, and more – but that’s probably smart. Here are some of the features GM did share:
- Silent Drive and Silent Watch, enabling low acoustic and thermal signatures;
- Exportable power capable of charging mission systems;
- Tactically significant range with extended mission duration;
- Designed to be autonomy-ready with manned and unmanned options; and
- Add-on armor capable.
GM also presented the following “sustainment” features:
- Fuel demand reduction;
- The ability to use existing JP8 fuel infrastructure;
- Lower maintenance requirements from reduced parts and subsystems in the overall propulsion system; and
- Reduced logistics tail for fuel, batteries, and vehicle parts.
“Next Gen’s ‘wow’ factor is right behind the wheel,” said John (JD) Johnson, vice president of GM Defense’s Government Solutions and Strategy Division. “Next Gen fundamentally changes the discussion around modern mobility through the tactical benefits delivered by its propulsion system, including its ability to address the power gap in the formation … we encourage customers to test drive it so that we can get these capabilities fielded immediately.”
GM Defense is also showing its new Stable Tactical Expeditionary Electric Power solution, which delivers tactical microgrid capabilities, and its Infantry Utility Vehicle, packaged with a Silent Tactical Energy Enhanced Dismount and Squad Maneuver Equipment Transport to represent an element of the Army’s Human-Machine Integration – Formation initiative.
Electrek’s Take
The new GM Defense Next Gen tactical vehicle isn’t built on the same all-electric chassis as the GMC Hummer EV-based eMCV shown last year. That vehicle featured a 200 kWh and about 300 miles of range with no onboard ICE generator.
That vehicle is still officially in testing with the US Army. The Next Gen diesel EREV however, seems ready for sale now.
SOURCE | IMAGES: GM Defense.
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Legacy motorcycle maker Royal Enfield has released a teaser ahead of its expected electric motorcycle launch next month at the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA).
In the teaser video, seen below, the electric motorcycle is lowered down by a parachute as if being air-dropped. The video is accompanied by a caption teasing the unveiling on November 4th, the start of the Milan Motorcycle Show.
We got an early look at a prototype electric motorcycle from Royal Enfield at the show last year, but this year is expected to see the unveiling of a production version of the bike.
According to local media, the electric motorcycle will be the first of several developed on the same platform, allowing for multiple electric motorcycles to share the same basic structure.
The use of a structural battery pack is similar to other companies such as Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire, which also employs a structural battery pack as the basis of a platform that is used to produce several different electric motorcycle models.
The move is particularly important to the electric motorcycle industry, especially inside of India, due to the company’s major role in the motorcycle industry. Royal Enfield is one of India’s most iconic and oldest motorcycle manufacturers, with a rich history dating back over 120 years. Known for producing sturdy, classic, and retro-styled motorcycles, Royal Enfield has built a strong following both domestically and internationally.
In India, the brand is synonymous with rugged, reliable bikes, which are highly popular for both long-distance touring and everyday commuting. Royal Enfield holds a dominant position in the mid-size motorcycle segment (250-750cc) in India and has cultivated a loyal fan base due to its blend of vintage charm and modern engineering.
Despite Royal Enfield’s popularity for touring bikes, the upcoming electric motorcycle is more likely to focus on commuting roles due to the limited range offered by most affordably-priced electric motorcycles.
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Gogoro announced today the expansion of consumer sales of three of its electric scooters in the Singapore market, marking a major expansion from the company’s commercial fleet-based entry into the market.
Known for its battery-swapping network that fuels its own electric scooters as well as those produced by other major motorbike manufacturers such as Yamaha and Aeon, Gogoro has become the de facto battery-swapping standard for two-wheeled EVs.
The company has expanded its battery-swapping network into several countries across Asia, often beginning with commercial operations. Last year, Gogoro partnered with Food Panda to outfit delivery riders with Gogoro scooters and batteries in Singapore.
Cycle & Carriage Singapore (C&C) served as the importer and distributor, and is now expanding operations to include consumer sales of three electric scooters. The models include the Gogoro VivaMix, Gogoro Premium, and Gogoro SuperSport.
“Together with Cycle & Carriage, we are introducing a new generation of two-wheel urban transportation and refueling in Singapore. Gogoro battery swapping provides a quick, easy and safe electric refueling experience that doesn’t require parking or time to charge,” said Henry Chiang, CEO of Gogoro. “Singapore has taken a proactive approach to accelerating EV adoption and the Singapore LTA’s TR25 electric vehicle charging standard has established a strong set of requirements for Southeast Asia to embrace.”
“Gogoro is Cycle & Carriage’s first foray into the two-wheeler electric mobility business here in Singapore and it highlights our commitment to support the Singapore Green Plan 2030,” said Wilfrid Foo, Managing Director of Cycle & Carriage Singapore. “While battery swapping technology is relatively new here, we believe in the products and our partnership with Gogoro will accelerate the growth.”
Gogoro’s battery-swapping standard has proven popular in its domestic market of Taiwan, where over 1.4 million batteries are in circulation. The company boasts hundreds of millions of battery swaps with hundreds of thousands occurring every day. Battery swap stations outnumber gasoline stations on the island and riders are rarely more than several hundred feet from the closest battery swap kiosk.
The company’s operations are smaller in other countries into which it has expanded, but represent an important launching pad in various regions as Gogoro hopes to replicate its local success on a global level.
Electrek’s Take
The expansion of consumer sales of Gogoro’s scooters in Singapore is particularly interesting to me for two reasons. First of all, EVs make up only around one percent of Singapore’s two-wheeler market, meaning there is a lot of room to replace combustion vehicles.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Singapore’s two-wheeler market is a much smaller portion of the total vehicle landscape than most countries that Gogoro has entered. By comparison, other markets that Gogoro has targeted, such as Taiwan, India, and Indonesia, all have more two-wheelers than cars. But compared to the several motorbike-majority countries that Gogoro has entered, scooters and motorcycles only make up around 15% of the Singapore transportation market, meaning Gogoro is working in areas with much smaller two-wheeler shares. That’s likely good news for Gogoro fans in other countries that hope to have the battery-swapping giant one day make landfall on their own shores. Of course, Singapore’s size and geography likely play a unique role in its selection as a point of expansion for Gogoro, but I still see it as a promising sign for a wider Gogoro rollout.
At the same time though, there’s also the issue of current financial troubles at Gogoro, evidenced by multiple successive quarters of net operating losses in the millions of dollars. But if Gogoro is to turn things around, success on a global level could be a major contributor. The thousands of swapping stations across Taiwan are evidence of the operational success of the system, and now the company needs to demonstrate that it can also be a financial success around the world.
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