US Army CERV on Display at the 2010 SAE World Congress

This year’s SAE World Congress is not all about engineering innovations and finding solutions on meeting environmental and fuel economy requirements, and fuel economy claims for PHEV and hybrid vehicles. There are also vehicles on display, which demonstrate the advancement in automotive engineering.

So is the case with Quantum’s Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV), developed for and in cooperation with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), and the only hybrid vehicle currently certified for transport in the Osprey rotorcraft.

The CERV is an advanced military scout vehicle, intended for rapid, covert ingress and egress operations during reconnaissance, surveillance, and target-designation missions. The vehicle features Quantum's lightweight chassis and a new all-wheel-drive, diesel hybrid-electric powertrain that produces 6780 Nm of maximum torque.

Interesting about the CERV is that it can maintain speeds of 80 mph (129 km/h) and climb 60% grades, all while using up to 25% less fuel than conventional vehicles of comparable size.

The CERV incorporates Quantum's Q-Force drivetrain, a hybrid design which utilizes a 1.4 liter diesel engine mated to a 75kW generator. This is combined with power from a lithium ion battery pack to energize the vehicle's 100kW permanent magnet drive motor.

"With the Q-Force and Q-Drive meeting such demanding requirements for both military and commercial vehicles, this shows the strong breadth and capabilities of our hybrid drivetrain technologies and the strength of our Drive Systems team," Alan P. Niedzwiecki, President and CEO of Quantum, said in a release.