Diesel/electric-drive military vehicle at chicago auto show

A military vehicle is designed to perform specific missions, not serve as an environmental showcase.

But the CERV (Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle), which was featured at the Chicago Auto Show by the Army's Tank Automotive Research and Development Engineering Center (TARDEC), is designed to satisfy multipurpose military requirements, while benefitting from civilian-like technology too.

The CERV is a diesel/electric-drive vehicle, so it's in the same development stage as some automotive designs. It was engineered and built for TARDEC by Quantum Technologies, an alternate energy systems development company. The range in engine-off electric drive (the clandestine or silent mode) is 5-12 mi (8-19 km) using a dual pack (6.0 kW·h total rating) of E-One Moli Energy cylindrical lithium-ion batteries. The cells are the low-cost No. 18650 type proven in laptops, power tools, and also in Tesla cars. There is both a safety interlock and ground fault detection on the high-voltage circuit.