IRVINE, California—Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. is set to develop the diesel hybrid electric version of its Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV) Aggressor. Its client: The US Army. The program is a follow up on Quantum’s successful Aggressor vehicle, a high-performance light-duty off-road fuel cell hybrid vehicle developed for the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and the National Automotive Center. The project has a total value of $4.88 million.

The objective of the program is to develop a second-generation high-performance light-duty off-road hybrid electric vehicle platform based on the results of and feedback from the US Army’s testing and evaluation of the Aggressor. The first prototype of the Aggressor, built in 2004, never made it beyond military testing and evaluation. The propulsion system for this next phase of AMV development will focus on a JP 8 fuel-compatible diesel internal combustion engine based, battery dominant, series hybrid electric system, which would provide a cost-effective, near-term solution as fuel cell technology matures. Preproduction prototypes will be developed and built for testing and evaluation by selected commands to assess mission suitability, supportability, performance objectives, and guidance on final vehicle configuration.

“We believe that the AMV program offers an innovative solution as a long-range reconnaissance vehicle that fills a technology gap for the US Army in its national defense efforts while reducing its fuel logistic burden,” said Alan Niedzwiecki, president and CEO of Quantum. “The vehicle’s silent watch capability, high performance acceleration, extended range, and exportable power provide significant advantages for the US Army in communications, surveillance, targeting, and reconnaissance missions. We believe that this vehicle and Quantum’s innovative hybrid drive train will also be very well-suited for other commercial applications, including homeland security, border patrol, park service operations, and light-duty automobiles.”

A wider, 66″ body design makes room for performance-grade acceleration— at least as far as military vehicles go—with the second-generation Aggressor set to rev from 0 to 40 mph in four seconds and top out at 80 mph. But speed is not the main attraction here. Stealth is. The Aggressor design provides battery-only operations, allowing it to switch into “silent mode” with a reduced thermal signature. Combine that with extended range and exportable power, the Aggressor is set to become the first tough-to-detect AMV for missions involving communications, surveillance and targeting.

The contract will be administered by Alion Science and Technology Corp., based in Alexandria, Virginia. Alion will provide project management oversight in support of this effort for the US Army. Quantum, a fully integrated alternative energy company, is a leader in power train engineering, system integration and manufacturing of packaged fuel systems and accessories for specialty vehicles and applications including fuel cells, hybrids, alternative fuels, hydrogen refueling, new body styles, mid-cycle vehicle product enhancements and high performance engines and drive trains for OEMs and consumers of aftermarket parts and accessories.

The company has product commercialization alliances with General Motors, AM General and Sumitomo, while its customer base includes Toyota, Opel, Hyundai, Suzuki, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, SunLine, Yamaha, AeroVironment, and the US Army.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 5th, 2007 at 8:31 pm and is filed under New-generation performance auto parts, Performance parts manufacturers, Aftermarket Performance Parts community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.