Green military machine? Innovation helps make equipment more environmentally sustainable

Green military machine? A collaboration between SC Group and University of Exeter is accelerating the implementation and integration of electric and hybrid powertrains, helping make military equipment more environmentally sustainable, offering new or enhanced capabilities, and opening up opportunities in other sectors (marine, emergency response, disaster relief, hazardous environments).

Renewed interest in the All-Terrain Mobility Platform (ATMP), developed in the 1980s, has come with additional demands – increased sustainability, stealth, range, speed and flexibility. This indicated the need for a new hybrid or electric powertrain. Whilst hybrid and electric drive technology is mature for road cars, it is far from mature for high mobility and defence vehicles. SC Group wanted to overcome this challenge by being the first to developing a flexible hybrid or electric powertrain suitable initially for the ATMP, and applicable to larger and more complex vehicles. SC Group has achieved this by developing this technology for the defence and emergency services sectors, particularly in challenging off-road environments, through the design, construction and evaluation of a technology demonstrator vehicle.

A KTP with University of Exeter experts has helped to stimulate:

• A wider change in thinking for power systems in the UK defence sector and more widely, including marine, rail, HGVs, and aerospace. SC Group‘s main customer, the British Army, recently announced £100M for innovation, specifically including hybrid drive, as part of an effort to decarbonise its operations.
• SC Group and University of Exeter are now recognised internationally as a leaders in electric hybrid drivetrains for high mobility vehicles.
• A range of new cross-sectoral opportunities for SC Group. It is now within the core of emerging UK capability in hybrid and electric drive defence vehicles, having exhibited the vehicle developed through the KTP at DSEI 2019.
• Substantially increased revenue forecast (£5m) with additional opportunities involving electrification and hybridisation design and manufacturing for on- and off-road vehicles in the near term (12-18 months) and further growth forecast for future years
• More than 20 businesses are now working with the University of Exeter in electric / hybrid powertrains (from zero before the KTP started)
• University of Exeter is now a partner in a consortium recently winning £30M from UKRI in the ‘Driving the Electric Revolution’ challenge, and a partner in many more related bids & projects.
• The University formed a new Centre for Future Clean Mobility in 2020, as a national centre for innovation in electric / hybrid powertrains for marine, defence, rail, HGV, and aerospace sectors. This is backed by 20+ businesses and growing swiftly.
• A full electric variant of the new vehicle was designed, built, tested and demonstrated before the end of the KTP project. This is likely to be evaluated by UK armed forces and emergency services, including the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 2020.
• The H-ATMP will be offered for sale in full electric and hybrid variants. SC Group has commenced the integration and sale of these technologies in other products.
• SC Group is now providing engineering consultancy and design services to other companies on electric and hybrid propulsion. SC Group is commencing the development of electric / hybrid powertrains in the Maritime sector via Proteum, helping to meet emissions targets.
• SC Group now employs the KTP associate, Matt Harvey