Army Fuel Efficient Concept Vehicle Debuts in Detroit

Unveiling this week at Annual Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress.
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DETROIT — Following last week’s grand opening of its high-tech energy lab in Warren, the Army will publicly debut a new fuel efficient concept vehicle that significantly improves fuel economy and has the capability to generate and export power for U.S. soldiers in austere places like Afghanistan.

The fuel-efficient ground vehicle Demonstrator Bravo will be on display at the Society of Automotive Engineers 2012 World Congress April 24-26 at Cobo Center in Detroit.

True to this year’s SAE 2012 theme, Get Connected, the FED Bravo ventured into uncharted territory when the Army collaborated with students at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, to design the new concept vehicle. CCS has a thriving, highly respected automotive design program to feed the styling studios of the Big Three car companies. A group of 18 CCS students designed the vehicle to meet specific Army requirements for fuel economy, performance, protection, payload and interior layout.

The Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren will have a significant presence at the show. In addition to the public debut of the FED Bravo vehicle, the display will also feature a small TM3 microgrid system. When the FED Bravo plugs into the TM3, it is capable of providing power for Forward Operating Bases and other small military outposts, significantly reducing power requirements, making soldiers more efficient and safer. There will also be a scale model of the Army’s new Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory on display at SAE.