DARPA, Logos To Develop Stealthy Hybrid-Power Motorcycles For US Armed Forces

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing a developing a new vehicle to silently transport commandoes to their missions.

Logos Technologies has won a $100,000 contract to develop stealthy, hybrid-powered motorcycles that relies on both electric and gas power, allowing special ops to go off-road and zip past enemy forces with the silence of an electric engine, while also being able to handle extended missions and higher speeds with a supplemental gas tank.

In February, DARPA awarded Logos Technologies a $100,000, six-month Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract for a preliminary design to see just how viable the project is, according to the

Developed in partnership with San Francisco-based all-electric motorcycle producer BRD, the platform will combine Logos Technologies’ quieted, multifuel hybrid-electric power system with a cutting-edge, off-road electric motorcycle platform developed by BRD. This initiative will be the first time that a two-wheel-drive, multifuel hybrid capability has been integrated into a full-size off-road motorcycle.

“Quieted, all-wheel-drive capability at extended range in a lightweight, rugged, single-track vehicle could support the successful operations of U.S. expeditionary and special forces in extreme terrain conditions and contested environments,” said Wade Pulliam, manager of advanced concepts at Logos Technologies. “With a growing need to operate small units far from logistical support, the military may increasingly rely on adaptable, efficient technologies like this hybrid-electric motorcycle.”

Beyond the efficiency and mobility improvements the design aims to bring, the hybrid-electric approach also allows for extended periods of near-silent, electric-only-propulsion as well as the generation of supplemental electric power for use by personnel in the field.

“Our advanced yet affordable offering will provide operators the near-silent capability and ease of operation, of an all-electric vehicle along with the adaptable power generation and extended range of a multifuel internal combustion engine,” continues Pulliam. “By utilizing our team’s experience developing similar hybrid-powered projects and first-in-class electric motorcycles, the Logos Technologies-BRD partnership seeks to deliver a highly capable low-risk and proven product.”