US Army - NAC Initiates 42V R&D Program

Increasing electrical demands in Class-8, Line-Haul trucks have prompted an industry move from 14V to 42V. To effectively leverage R&D being done commercially, Military platforms will need to increase from 28V to 42V, or the Army will risk falling behind. Consequently, the US Army - National Automotive Center (NAC) has initiated its 42V R&D program to promote cooperative research in advanced mobile power technologies like 36V smart-batteries, fuel cells, Integrated Starter-Generators (ISGs) and other 42V components. Military issues like silent-watch and soldier safety are priority. No such R&D capability currently exists at the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). This research will serve as a springboard for technology insertion of advanced power systems onto 21^st-Century Truck demonstrator platforms, thus enabling all TARDEC business groups to perform “proof-of-concept” demonstrations by allowing for pre-transition-to-user validations of Advanced Technology Demonstrations (ATDs) and Science and Technology Objectives (STOs).