The engineering company RTC has developed one of the world’s most powerful batteries for hybrid vehicles. It can power various heavy machinery as well as hybrid supercars.
The Maribor company has come up with the idea for the battery as part of its development of a hybrid multi-purpose unmanned vehicle and a self-driving trailer, CEO Sašo Emin has told the Slovenian Press Agency.
RTC aka the Research Technology Center has been present on the market since 2001, having emerged from the defunct vehicle manufacturer TAM – Maribor Automobile Factory.
It develops different vehicles, machinery and battery energy systems. It has been involved in the development of buses, motorcycles, cars, tractors, and the machinery used in forestry, mining and construction. Most of these products were developed for partners until 2017, but since then the company has been focusing on its own development and own investment in projects.
Its last two flagship products are Vepkov, a 6 × 6 hybrid multi-purpose unmanned vehicle, and a self-driving trailer intended for joint light tactical vehicles and the Vepkov project.
The latter is a powered trailer that can help the vehicle traverse difficult terrain at speeds of up to 15 km/h. It can reach towing speeds of up to 100 km/h. The trailer is equipped with its own battery, so it can also be manoeuvred independently when unhitched.
Meanwhile, Vepkov is equipped with sensors that allow it to operate in an autonomous navigation mode. “Vepkov is the technical name for a hybrid vehicle or an unmanned ground vehicle, that is a system supported by a 150 kW power generator. This means that the vehicle can be powered by a relatively small battery with extremely high power for demanding manoeuvres,” Emin said.
The dual-use vehicle can be used for military purposes or in firefighting in risky areas. According to Emin, it would have come in handy in the massive wildfire in the Kras region in 2022, where there was the risk of unexploded ordnance.
Vepkov is also compatible with the Mangart 25 and Loki weapon stations from the Slovenian company Valhalla Turrets.
RTC is currently taking part in SIDEC, the country’s first international defence industry fair, to present joint development projects with the Defence Ministry. In addition to the Vepkov and the active trailer projects, these also include an electric all-terrain vehicle.
