IAV 2025 – Fering Technologies unveils its Pioneer X ultra-high mobility vehicle

Paolo Valpolini

Established in 2019, the mission of Fering Technologies was to design a vehicle able to operate across hostile terrain at any latitude, from -50°C to +50°C, on very long ranges, without the need of resupplies, ad in two years the newly established company presented its Fering Pioneer, an electric vehicle with a range extender that allows it to travel up to 7,000 km without refuelling

The Fering Pioneer raised the interest of British Special Forces, thus the company decided to develop a military grade vehicle using the Pioneer as the starting point. It took five years to get to the production prototype, the result of a spiralling development done hand in hand with the military. The vehicle was unveiled at the International Armoured Vehicles Conference, organised by Defence iQ.

“Our vehicle features five unique elements, the modular spine, the battery system, the suspension system, the power train system and a fabric body system,” Ben Scott-Geddes, the company Chief Technical Officer, told EDR On-Line.

click on image to enlarge

The Pioneer X structure is based on a carbon fibre modular central spine while most of the remaining elements are in aluminium, which allows to keep the kerb mass at 1,650 kg. The vehicle is 5.12 metres long, 1.9 metres wide, its height varying between 1.7 and 2.165 metres. The wheelbase is 3.3 metres while the track width is 1.62 metres.

Propulsion is ensured by two electric motors, located one at the front and one at the rear, which provide a 650 Nm torque per axle. These are powered by a set of four batteries that EDR On-Line understood being of the lithium-titanium-oxide type, purposely developed by Fering using chemistry developed in house. The two motors work at 420 V voltage, the vehicle featuring a second electric plant at the typical 24 V to which all add-on systems are connected.

click on image to enlarge

“To recharge batteries we developed a 60 kW extender that can be based either on a heavy fuel generator or on hydrogen fuel cells, the latter being now available at military grade,” Ben Scott-Geddes explained. The fuel is contained in tanks hosted in the central composite spine, 470 litres being the maximum fuel load that can be hosted on board. The maximum range declared is 7,010 km using the extender. It is to note that fuel consumption is reduced to a minimum, a considerable plus from the logistic standpoint as it reduces the fuel transport burden for logistic units as well as operating cost, considering that the cost of fuel in operational areas may increase by at least an order of magnitude compared to its cost on national soil.

click on image to enlarge

The Pioneer X can travel in electric mode for 80 km, the British Army requirement being 25 km. “In fact we over specified all requirements,” Ben Scott-Geddes noted. The on-board generator can also be used to provide electric power to external systems, for example ensuring power to a temporary combat outpost without the need to bring a proper generator, that would considerably reduce mobility and increase the fuel burden. It can also be used to load the batteries of unmanned ground or air vehicles as well as electric dirt bikes, one being visible on the right side of the vehicle exhibited at IAV.

click on image to enlarge

Off-road mobility is provided by an original suspension system which details were not fully unveiled. According to the brochure provided by Fering these are obviously fully independent and are of the air spring variable ride active type, working at 18 bar pressure, based on a proprietary technology. EDR On-Line understood that there are in fact two suspensions, one aimed at flat roads and one at rough terrain, the driver being able to select the mode according to the ground which leads the system to make the adequate suspension to take over most of the load. The Pioneer X ground clearance can be increased by 850 mm thanks to variable ride suspensions; these are kept at their minimum height on even terrain when maximum speed is required, and can be trimmed up to their maximum excursion when needed, usually on rough terrain. Two operating modes are available, on and off-road. The company declares a 130 km/h maximum speed, no indications on how much this would be reduced on rough terrain. The vehicle uses standard 22.5x285R70 truck tires, another choice made by Fering to ensure a smooth logistic, as these can be easily found everywhere in the world.

click on image to enlarge

Speaking of mobility, the Pioneer X can overcome a 750 mm high step, climb a 60% ramp, travel on a 50° side slope; this is allowed by the very low centre of gravity, however as the height of each suspension can be varied independently, increasing the height of those downhill would allow to move on an angle even greater than 50°, EDR On-Line understood. The vehicle is fully submersible, its waterproof rating being IP 68, which allows it to easily wade through water obstacles. The limited front overhanging allows a 74° approach angle, while the departure angle is 48° as the rear flatbed extends over the rear wheels.

The typical layout allows carrying a five-man crew, with two front seats for driver and commander, two rear seats for operator, a fifth one standing up and manning the weapon installed on the heavy duty ring, which can host 12.7 mm machine guns and 40 mm automatic grenade launchers. In a personnel carrier layout seats can also be installed on the rear flatbed, nine operators being carried plus the two-man crew. In a CASEVAC configuration the Pioneer X can carry up to four litters on the rear flatbed, the overall payload of this peculiar 4×4 vehicle being 1.85 tonnes; to this we must take off the fuel mass, and considering diesel fuel density a full load of 470 litres would eat up to 400 kg, leaving 1.45 tonnes available. However in most missions the full fuel load will not be necessary. Of course range can be converted into available electric power for other duties when the vehicle is static, allowing considerable mission duration.

click on image to enlarge

“Thanks to the modular spine design we were able to easily develop a 6×6 stretched version of our Pioneer X,” Ben Scott-Geddes unveiled, the prototype being already running. “We added only 250 kg to the kerb mass, while increasing the payload by 1 tonne, which brings it to over 2.5 tonnes,” the company CTO added. The 6×6 version sees the rear axle of the 4×4 configuration becoming a free wheel axle, the modular spine being extended by around 1 metre, the motorised rear axle being moved at the rear of the vehicle.

Talking to EDR On-Line Gareth Reece, Fering Technologies Managing Director added: “We are developing an autonomous version of the vehicle, with two different levels o f autonomy.” The vehicle being obviously oriented to Special Forces use, this might for example allow to have some vehicles in a team fully dedicated to the transport of supplies, automatically following man-driven vehicles without the need to add operators acting only as drivers.

“The Pioneer X was never designed to be armoured,” Reece underlined, however the company developed in-house a specific fabric that might be used in some circumstances to provide some comfort to the crew.

The vehicle uses U technology and is manufactured at the company facility in Battersea, south of London.

Photos courtesy Fering Technologies and P. Valpolini

Tweet
Share
Share