- 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, Volta Power Systems 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). Volta Power Systems 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 Volta system. With more than a quarter million tactical vehicles in the field, Volta’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.
“As the go-to resource for the US Army, FMTVs often spend as much of their operational time stationary as they do in motion. However, even when stationary, the engines must remain running to power their essential onboard electronics, as well as their crew compartments’ heating and cooling systems. This results in significant fuel consumption, engine wear, and tons of carbon emissions,” said Jack Johnson, co-founder at Volta Power Systems. “To microhybridize these vehicles, we designed our system to meet DIU’s specific power needs while providing a cost-effective, eco-conscious and scalable way for the military to reduce emissions.”
Volta’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 Volta 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, Volta Power Systems 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. Volta 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 Volta Power Systems
Founded in 2014, Volta Power Systems provides safe, powerful and simple lithium-ion energy storage solutions for small to midsize businesses. RV, marine and specialty vehicles. OEMs trust Volta to deliver leading-edge, automotive-grade power systems that enhance the lifestyle, freedom and comfort of their end users. For more information, visit https://voltapowersystems.com/.
