FORT LEWIS, Wash., March 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has begun the next phase of testing on two fuel-saving hybrid engines that are being considered for heavy military trucks.
UQM Technologies said Tuesday that the Military Utility Assessment testing phase began this month with the Second Infantry Division at Fort Lewis on its propulsion system, dubbed UQMO.
The tests involve performance of a variety of tasks that will be required of the Army's Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle and the 120-kilowatt UQMO propulsion system.
The vehicle is part of the Army's Future Tactical Truck System and is designed to both conserve fuel and generate an ample flow of electricity to run the electronics and remote weapons systems the vehicle will carry. The heavyweight version will replace a number of vehicles currently in use.
The testing phase will also incorporate design changes that will improve the system's power density, performance and cost.
Colorado-based UQM is working with Armor Holdings on the project, which has already undergone extensive preliminary testing totaling 3,000 miles at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds and Michigan Proving Grounds.
"The (Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle) design and development exercise has overcome many of the hybrid technology challenges this class of vehicle presents," Armor Holdings Vice President Chris Chambers said in a news release.
