Oshkosh LCV Enters Baja 1000

What better way for a defense contractor to show the might of its technology than by putting in through the hell of one of the toughest man-made challenges on this Planet? Oshkosh, one of the preferred suppliers of the US military, will be sending to Mexico the Oshkosh Extreme Racing team, equipped with Light Concept Vehicles (LCV), to try and tackle the 1,061-mile desert course.

The LCVs, numbered M1 and M2, use the TAK-4 independent suspension system featured on the military vehicles deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the hood, Oshkosh fitted the ProPulse diesel-electric powertrain, a modular series-hybrid arrangement.

The ProPulse uses a diesel engine to power an electric generator, which provides direct power to the wheels. This means that the vehicles have no torque converter, automatic transmission, transfer case and drive shafts.

Such a combination draws its power not from batteries, but from ultracapacitors. Regenerative braking is also available, with the entire setup being responsible for the reduction in fuel consumption figures by some 40 percent compared to conventional powertrains.

“Oshkosh engineers are dedicated to producing the most advanced vehicle technologies for a variety of highly-specialized industries,” said Chris Yakes, Oshkosh vice president of Advanced Products Engineering.

“In pursuit of next-generation technologies for future fleets, we’ve been testing our concept vehicles in remote locations in the United States, and we are now competing in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 – our most intense challenge to date. We are excited about this opportunity.”

The Baja 1000 kicks off on November 17 and will see the cars and trucks starting in Ensenada and ending the race in La Paz, Mexico.