Turkey To Unveil Its First Electric Armored Vehicle At IDEF-2019

Turkish firm Otokar has developed a new electric armored vehicle christened “Akrep II” that will be unveiled at IDEF-2019 exhibition to be held between April 30 and May 3, 2019 in Büyükçekmece, Turkey.

“It is the country’s first domestically developed electric-powered armored combat vehicle. The vehicle will be tested soon. It will be ready for purchase within a year,” Daily Sabah reported quoting the company’s chairman Serdar Görgüç as saying Wednesday.

According to Görgüç, the vehicle is designed with both electric and diesel motors. "An all-electric version will be introduced and that the diesel version will be ready for purchase within one year," he added.

The low vehicle height of the Akrep II offers advantages against anti-tank threats while it can also provide support for close combat troops on the ground.

"The range of the vehicle which has places for a battery in both its front and back can be also increased with additional batteries according to the customer requests," Görgüç said.

He said that the vehicle takes three hours to recharge after the batteries are completely drained.

Akrep II was designed as a modular platform so that it could be adapted to different tasks. The range of the vehicle is currently 250 kilometers (155 miles). “The range can be increased with energy-intensive new batteries,” he added.

The new vehicle is designed to meet a Turkish Army requirement. A new armored vehicle will replace the Cobra and Akrep I armored vehicle in reconnaissance missions.

The baseline version of the Akrep II vehicle provides all-around protection for the crew against small arms rounds and artillery shell splinters. Addition of slat armor gives some degree of protection against rocket-propelled grenades. Also is expected that this new vehicle withstands anti-tank mine blasts under the wheels.

This armored scout car can be fitted with remotely controlled weapon station, armed with small- or medium-caliber gun. Lighter versions, armed with shielded 7.62-mm, 12.7-mm machine guns or 40-mm automatic grenade launcher are also available.