The launch marks the culmination of a two-year industrialization program, in which Saft has succeeded in reducing the cost of the Xcelion 6T™ to increase its marketability and create a standardized, versatile product.
As modern military operations move away from the front lines, the need to power the vast array of sensors and communication systems installed in today's military vehicles is putting current power systems to the test. Saft's Xcelion 6T™ leverages lithium-ion technology to offer many advantages over lead-acid batteries, including longer lifespan, higher energy density, and a lower total cost of ownership. As a result, the Xcelion 6T™ enhances the capabilities of current military vehicles, supports silent surveillance operations (engine off mode), and powers a host of technologies that rely on the vehicle's battery.
In the long term, the Xcelion 6T™ will reduce the logistical burden of storing, transporting, and distributing spare batteries. This translates to savings of approximately $200 million in total cost of ownership for a fleet of 20,000 vehicles over a 20-year lifespan. With 700,000 lead-acid batteries sold annually to the military sector, Saft is well-positioned to achieve widespread adoption of its Xcelion 6T™ battery, delivering significant cost savings for the end user.
“Saft has developed a highly competitively priced version of the traditional 6T lead-acid battery found in almost every military vehicle worldwide, with the aim of making this technology widely available in defense and other commercial applications.”.
The Saft Xcelion 6T™ is a 28V, 60Ah Li-ion battery system designed with the dimensions of a traditional lead-acid battery, allowing for easy vehicle installation. The system provides power for starting, lighting, and ignition, as well as critical safety devices during silent surveillance missions, such as sensors, jamming devices, communications equipment, and control systems. It also features CANBus communications, which transmit vital information, including charge status, health status, cell voltages, temperatures, and battery diagnostics.
The Xcelion 6T™ battery has already been selected for the Thales Hawkei vehicle and by Lockheed Martin for its Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). In the first quarter of 2015, Saft supplied Xcelion 6T™ batteries for use in Hawkei prototype vehicles. A follow-on contract to support initial Hawkei production is expected in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Saft's Xcelion 6T™ has completed all qualification tests, including those required by the United Nations for transport certification. It also has a NATO Stock Number, which will expand the market for the battery.
