The DURO vehicle family by General Dynamics European Landsystems (GDELS) has received an all-electric member. At Eurosatory, GDELS presented the DUROe, which has the internal combustion engine including gearbox and tank removed and replaced by an electric drive with lithium ion batteries. Two electric motors with 180 kW each power the DUROe on all wheels, which is almost three times as much as provided for the basic model. The nominal power-to-weight ratio is 57 kW/t. In addition, peak powers of up to 2×400 kW are possible for short periods. Torques have increased to 2×550 Nm (peak 2×1,225 Nm).
Energy is provided by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 120 kWh (255 kWh on request) located between the longitudinal girders. According to the manufacturer, this covers a driving range of up to 310 km with top speeds of up to 95 km/h. This results in charging times of a good hour (or just under two and a half hours) for a full charge. After 20 minutes, the battery has enough capacity to cover a distance of around 100 km.
DUROe Specifications
The total weight remains at 6.3 tonnes, of which up to 1.7 tonnes are available for payload. This depends on the battery selected. The chassis can accommodate mission-adapted superstructures. According to technical data released by the company, the off-road capability is the same as with the conventional DURO. Driving performance should be significantly better thanks to the higher engine power and torque. GDELS sees possible applications for:
- troop carriers
- command vehicles
- logistic transport vehicles
- ambulances
- police cars
Thanks to the electric drive, the DUROe offers almost silent and low-signature propulsion. During stationary operations such as observation, treatment of wounded or communication, no noise and heat producing engine runs in “silent-watch mode”. The energy reserve allows the delivery of power to external consumers such as for charging battery packs of portable devices.
The maximum driving range is 310 km, a figure which may be reduced by using silent watch. This requires precise mission planning while charging times may have to be included.
GWH
