UK’s Supacat – Eco Charger partnership launches “Vizsla” world’s first military all electric Quad at DSEi 2021. The first all-electric Quad bike offering the capability required by military operators is being launched at DSEi 2021 by a partnership between two world leading UK based all-terrain vehicle specialists – Supacat, developer of “Jackal” and special forces vehicles, and Eco Charger, the world leading manufacturer of electric Quad bikes. The E-ATV (Electric-All Terrain Vehicle), “Vizsla”, is based on Eco Charger’s latest top of the range Lithium Prestige 4WD Quad “workhorse”, which is capable of speeds up to 65kmph. The two UK companies collaborated to modify the E-ATV for military operations including achieving a range extension to over 150km, unmatched by other E-ATVs.
Phil Applegarth, Director of Supacat, said, “Vizsla meets the aims of the British Army and of other armed forces in moving towards a non-hydrocarbon future and fits perfectly with Supacat’s current and future strategy”.
Russell Crisp, Chairman, Eco Charger, said, “After several years of discussion, development and testing we are delighted to be launching a truly world class E-ATV into the defence marketplace with Supacat”.
“Vizsla” equals the performance of fossil fuels ATVs and opens up new tactical options for using Quads on operations. A low acoustic signature below 70dB and zero EMC emission means less chance of detection, allowing soldiers to operate closer and faster in and out of enemy positions. The large onboard battery capacity makes it possible to charge personal equipment, such as sights and radios. “Vizsla” also benefits from Eco Charger’s unique hot-swap battery system; this enables the payload to be varied to optimize the balance between range and payload for individual missions.
Supacat will be Prime Contractor into Defence and provide support with spares, repairs, training and post design services. Eco charger will supply the systems from its Weston-Super-Mare facility to Supacat for assembly at its Devon facility. Their collaboration has grown out of a five-year relationship of Supacat’s parent, SC Group, representing Eco Charger’s products in Australia and New Zealand. The military E-ATV follows on from Supacat’s work with Exeter University on the Electric All-Terrain Military Platform (ATMP) and on a hybrid drive version of its “Jackal” vehicle for the UK MoD working with NP Aerospace and Magtec under the Protected Mobility Engineering & Technical Support (PMETS) programme.
