What's the Army's Challenge?
The Army has identified four challenges to resolve to support the 2022 Army Climate Strategy, the service laid out to field hybrid tactical vehicles by 2035, and fully electric tactical vehicles by 2050.
Challenge #1 – Mobility: Commercial battery chargers for the consumer EV and medium-duty/heavy-duty EV industry primarily focus on large stationary chargers that leverage preexisting grid infrastructure/resources. The military has an urgent need to develop large chargers that are highly mobile and can be rapidly deployed to austere environments.
Challenge #2 – Reliance on Grid Power: Commercially available chargers for consumer and commercial purposes are almost exclusively hardwired to the grid. Given the austere environments that the military must operate in, the DOD will not be able to assume the existence of grid power and, therefore, will need to include multi-megawatt power generation within the highly mobile EV battery charger.
Challenge #3 – Charger Size: For the consumer EV market, the power for extremely fast charging is limited to 400kW, while the commercial MD/HD chargers are targeting powers up to ~4MW. Given the size of our military vehicles and the desire to simultaneously charge multiple platforms off from a single charger, the DOD will eventually need much larger chargers (scalable to >6+ MW) than what the commercial industry is investing in to facilitate widespread adoption of all-electric combat platforms.
Challenge #4 – Environmental Conditions: The environmental conditions (including operational temperature, exposure to salt/sand, and shock/vibration) are much more extreme for military operations and are not fully addressed in commercial EV Battery Chargers.
DoD 22.4 Small Business Innovation Research Annual BAA Release 3, dated March 30, 2022
Introducing the MTBR.
The Mobile Tactical Battlefield Recharger (MTBR) is a game-changing innovation that combines cutting-edge technology, versatility, and sustainability to support the nation’s future tactical EV fleet.
By combining a unique variable speed genset hybridized with battery storage, the MTBR offers unparalleled capabilities for efficient EV recharging on the modern battlefield.
Flexibility for Any Operation.
With five operating modes - Silent, Quiet, Power Burst, Efficiency, and Rapid Charge - the MTBR provides flexible power options tailored to the specific mission requirements.
Its current product capability boasts an impressive 330 kW (continuous) and 540 kW (peak) export power, ensuring reliable and consistent performance for up to 45 minutes.
Powered by a JP8 fueled prime mover and a permanent magnet generator, the MTBR delivers exceptional power output.
Operational Sustainability.
The MTBR is equipped with 211 kWh of onboard battery storage utilizing LiFePo4 technology, offering enhanced energy storage capacity to allow sustained operations even in remote or challenging environments.
The system supports exportable power of up to 480 VAC, allowing for variable voltage and frequency options to meet diverse electrical demands.
Mobility and Resilience.
Importantly, the MTBR is highly mobile -- it’s a 20ft container that can be transported easily by road, air, rail, and sea.
Military-hardened, the MTBR meets Standard Mil-Spec requirements, including mitigation for EMP, HEMP, Environmental, Altitude, and logistical portability, ensuring rapid deployment and durability for any battlefield.
Its ability to integrate with different power and battery types and in-depth HMI control provide the Army with a resilient and trustworthy EV charging unit that enables recharging on the move.
Easy to Navigate HMI.
With a user-friendly interface, operators can effortlessly access vital information, ensuring efficient monitoring and control of the MTBR system.
The HMI provides real-time updates and status indicators for engine performance, controller states, battery condition, engine parameters, DCDC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter, rectifier, inverter, power measurement, and environmental data.
This comprehensive HMI interface enhances situational awareness and enables prompt decision-making, empowering military personnel to effectively manage and optimize power generation and storage on the battlefield.
Spec. Overview
Fuel/ Power Sources
JP-8
Host grid
Microgrid
Major Components
Prime Mover
Generator
Batteries
Charger
Battery Storage
Silent Recharge & High Recharge Rates
Customization
Battery Chemistry Agnostic
Modular Flexibility
Prime Mover Agnostic
Commercial Components
Asynchronous Operations
Decreased Fuel Use
Decreased Sound
Limited Heat Signatures
Battery Storage
Air
Land
Sea
Rail
Significant Advantages
Dramatically higher efficiency than conventional gensets (37% less fuel in a similar real-world cycle test. Uses 50% of the fuel at light loads).
Reduces remote energy resupply risks and logistics.
Reduced acoustic and thermal signatures provide a battlefield advantage.
Shaun Lott
Vice President, Global Sales
After serving for over 24 years in the United States Army, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel, Lott joined Enercon in January 2020 to lead the company’s business development efforts within the defense industry. In 2021, Shaun's leadership responsibilities expanded, and he now oversees Enercon’s global sales division, which services over 110 countries.
He is a member of the Association of the United States Army, Air Defense Artillery Association, and the Military Officers Association. Shaun is based out of the Enercon's Huntsville, Alabama office.
Download Shaun's Contact Information Now.
