Introducing the Alamo Advanced Vehicle Technical Center
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and with the help of the Alamo Group Advanced Vehicle Technical Center (AVTC), Schwarze is well-positioned to take advantage of this growing trend.
Located in Huntsville, Alabama, the AVTC was created in September 2021 to help Alamo Group become a leading technology and sustainability-embracing company. AVTC is dedicated to this goal, with a team hand-selected to develop full-scale prototypes or partial vehicle systems that can be prototyped and developed on the bench, then built and tested. AVTC also provides invaluable insight into how companies can reduce environmental impact through design decisions related to energy conservation and utilizing alternative sources such as renewable energy or improved battery technology.
Alamo Group chose Huntsville due to its history in engineering and technology advancements, founded in its strong presence of federal agencies, such as NASA and the Department of Defense, and globally recognized companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.
Among AVTC’s first projects was converting the Schwarze M6 Avalanche sweeper to an electric drive for its debut at Con-Expo 2023. Additionally, various other companies within the Alamo Group have been contacted, and many new ideas have been identified.
AVTC offers expertise in low voltage, high voltage, batteries of many types, inverters, motors, and other electrical systems to develop these concepts further, either independently in-house or alongside Schwarze engineers. This allows them to design control architectures utilizing a high level of electric power control not possible with hydraulics. By running full-scale lab prototypes at full power, they can work out unknown issues before field test unit builds.
The AVTC works closely with Schwarze to benefit everyone from their diverse knowledge sets. In doing so, they strive towards their mission: bringing advanced technology, such as hybrid and battery electric vehicles, to Alamo Group business units through reliable communication channels for cross-functional support.
In addition to bringing advanced technology such as hybrid and battery electric vehicles, the AVTC is also committed to exploring and developing future tech in the automotive industry. This includes investments in autonomous driving technologies, cutting-edge energy storage systems, and innovative materials and manufacturing processes to create more sustainable and efficient vehicles. By staying at the forefront of technological innovation, they are poised to shape the future of the automotive industry and lead the way toward a cleaner, more connected world.
Having a central point of contact for technology adoption, the AVTC can implement new technologies quickly throughout Alamo Group’s business units.
If you’ve missed the M6 Avalanche EV, Schwarze, and the AVTC team at the Conexpo. You’ll find us in the Hexagon Purus booth at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, May 2-4, 2023, in Anaheim, California.