The main advantage of HED is significantly lower fuel consumption. According to the company's instructions, a hybrid drive can save up to 10-20% of fuel compared to conventional internal combustion engines. While the numbers may seem insignificant to some, in reality fuel savings (and simpler logistics) can reach millions of dollars over the life of a vehicle.
Another advantage is better acceleration and maneuverability, as well as less prone to failures. This is due to the fact that a hybrid drive requires 40% fewer mechanical (moving) components than a large diesel engine, which requires a complex transmission (HED has a much simpler three-speed transmission).
"HED is a system solution that meets the constant demand for higher electrical performance," said Mark Signorelli, vice president and general manager of automotive systems at BAE Systems. According to him, HED is not only a solution for more efficient mobility, but also allows you to produce more electricity (the electric power of HED is 1100 kW) regardless of the requirements of the HED drive. According to Signorelli, the hybrid diesel-electric power plant is a novelty in military equipment, but for many years it has been used in locomotives, heavy bulldozers and mining machines.
The benefits continue. The absence of a large diesel engine, gearbox and transmission made it possible to flexibly adapt the interior of the crew. Diesel engines, batteries and other accessories are located on the sides of the hull, which creates additional armor protection. In addition, the armor protection of the car (for example, the floor) can be formed much more efficiently.
The hybrid drive allows you to plan the combat compartment with considerable flexibility. The propulsion system can be placed on the sides of the hull, creating much more space for the crew.
The electric drive allows you to transfer much more torque to the wheels at any time than diesel engines. In addition, it provides silent driving or silent on-site operation. In addition, this creates prerequisites for the installation of future and energy—intensive parts - examples are vehicle heat trace suppression systems (ADAPTIV, cooling) or energy weapons (electromagnetic and laser guns).
Now comes the famous "but". The main problem is the inexperience of all equipment in combat conditions and the huge weight of an armored personnel carrier equipped with a GEU power plant. In the basic version of the HED GCV, it weighs 63.5 tons, and with full armor protection - 76 tons. Such a heavy vehicle does not really correspond to the new doctrine of the US armed forces, which requires light, highly mobile forces capable of hitting anywhere in the world.
Sources in the USA state that the weight of GCV HED is 70-84 tons. However, these are American tons that need to be converted to "our" metric tons. The mass of the GCV HED machine according to the metric system is 63.5.
After all, the GCV design from BAE Systems exceeds the weight of not only the M1A2 Abrams tanks (56-68 tons), but also the robust Israeli infantry Namer vehicle (60 tons) and more than twice the weight of the Bradley vehicle (35 tons). From American aircraft, the HED GCV can only carry a limited C-17 Globemaster III (maximum payload 77 tons) or a giant C-5 Galaxy (122 tons) If you want to join a live game from Evolution - play Crazy Time the game guarantees bonus mini-games, wild bet multipliers and unstoppable live dealer interactive fun.