Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV) has begun production of electric bi-directional charging Ancillary Power Vehicles (APVs) as part of the US Army Tank Automotive Research Development Engineering Center (TARDEC) Micro-Grid project at Wheeler Air Base, Hawaii.
Commenced this spring, the order will incorporate three REV 300ACXs and one REV 300AZX based on the best-selling Ford Escape and Ford F150 platforms, respectively.
APVs are specialized electric light-duty fleet vehicles designed to increase the security, reliability and efficiency of the electric grid. They combine proprietary propulsion, power management and mobile communication technologies developed by REV. The vehicles are propelled by powerful 125 kW permanent magnet AC motor and gearbox drive systems that deliver 300 Nm (221 ft. lbs) of torque to the wheels.
Combined with REV’s wireless networked energy storage systems, this drive system can convert utility and fleet vehicles into 100% electric APVs, thereby displacing the high environmental and economic costs of fossil fuel use. In addition fleets can interact with the APVs in real-time and rely on their combined energy storage for fast-response backup power in the event of damaged transformers, broken power lines, or large spikes in demand.
As a subcontractor to Honeywell Aerospace, REV has been awarded three contracts and is supplying TARDEC with four 100% electric APVs, four 240V Coulomb ChargePoint charging stations and 200 kWh of stationary energy storage powered by Valence Technology.
Using REV’s control strategies, the APVs energy storage systems can be remotely notified to respond in real-time and store intermittent sources of energy such as solar or wind power. In connection with the use of Micro-Grids, REV’s APVs allow this stored electricity to flow into and out of the vehicles and power high consumption equipment and buildings when connected through the Chargepoints.
