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Notice  of
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Hybrid-Drive Snowmobiles – Research & Development – MERX NPP – Aug 2011 'Stealth Snowmobile'? – DRDC Suffield Hunts for Alternatives  – Gas-Electric Hybrid-Drive Snowmobiles for Patrol in the Arctic? DRDC Suffield's NPP for hybrid electric snowmobiles got  widespread attention from the media. Dubbed  'stealth snow- mobiles',  journalists by-and-large took a PopSci approach replete with images of  Canadian Forces soldiers swooping "silently across the frozen landscape". A stirring bit of  future-gazing but wide of the mark too. Most reporters missed that this is an R&D research contract – DRDC Suffield is trying to jump-start a promising but  flagging technology.  The term  'hybrid electric'  also caused confusion. The widely-used HEV (Hybrid-Electric Vehicle) term generally refers to 'mild' parallel hybrid drives found in cars or light trucks. But the NPP requires that drivers be able to select gas or  'silent' electric drive  which  dictates a 'series' hybrid. That's exactly what McGill prototyped with a modified Ski-Doo in back in 2007. McGill students were participating in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge. One result was a series hybrid conversion of a Bombardier MXZ Renegade 800 HO snowmobile  (or a Light Over-Snow Vehicle in CF terminology ). The goal was a functional, low-emission snowmobile with more flexible operation than McGill's better-known  all-electric snow- mobile. In other words, what DRDC is looking for has already existed for half a decade. The press illustrated articles with McGill's 2006 all-electric 'Wendigo'. That covers the 'stealthy' aspect but not the operational efficiency of the 'series'  hybrid concept.  Overlooked entirely in popular coverage is DRDC's break with current military 'correctness' which says let industry risk all developing the hybrid technology. It sounds clever but it has strangled militarized hybrid-drive development for a decade. Only one series hybrid snowmobile conversion [1] has come on the market in that time but this firm is now in bankruptcy protection. The take-home is that if a 'silent running' option is desirable for CF LOSVs, DND will have to fund such snowmobile R&D itself. DRDC is to be congratulated for breaking step with the conventional military thinking. [1] Raser Techologies adapted its Symetron hybrid technology to a Polaris chassis for US Parks Service use in Yellowstone.  Raser, now in bankruptcy protection,  produced geo-thermal pumps and 4x4 hybrid conversions as well but the company's fate raises a question: why should industry risk capital on technology that militaries won't pay for? 'Hybrid  Snowmobile' NPP  (as published on the MERX website)  is reproduced below. ________________________________________ HYBRID  Electric  Snowmobile [ LOSV ]  Technology —  MERX   NPP  [ Notice of  Proposed  Procurement ] ________________________________________ Reference Numbers              PW-$EDM-610-8984 Solicitation Numbers           W7702-125296/A Organization Name               Public Works and Government Services Canada                                                  Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada Source ID                               FD.DP.QC.10077.C2 Associated Components     Yes Dates Published     2011-08-17 Revised         — Closing         2011-09-02  02:00 PM  Mountain Daylight Saving Time  MDT Details Category     Research and Development (R&D) GSINS          AD917700:  MILITARY Region of Delivery            Alberta Region of Opportunity     — Agreement Type                Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) Tender Type                       Notice of  Proposed Procurement (NPP) Estimated Value                  — Solicitation Method           — Notice Description HYBRID Electric Snowmobile Technology Trade Agreement:  Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) Tendering Procedures: The bidder must supply Canadian goods and/or services Attachment: None Competitive Procurement Strategy: Best Overall Proposal Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No Nature of  Requirements: 1. TITLE: Development of HYBRID-Electric Snowmobile Technology - Suffield, AB 2. SECURITY: All work is unclassified and contractor will not have access to any classified information. 3. REQUIREMENT: Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) - Suffield, Medicine Hat, Alberta, has a requirement for which the objective is to advance the state of the art in HYBRID-electric design for snowmobiles and to produce a fully functional prototype HYBRID-electric snowmobile for test and evaluation, complete with a "silent" operating mode functioning on electric power only. 4. MANDATORY CRITERIA:   1. Price Proposal does not exceed the established budget.   2. Education: At least one member of contractor (or sub-contractor) staff working on the project must have a university degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or related field.   3. Experience: Contractor (or sub-contractors) must be able to demonstrate experience designing and building a HYBRID-electric snowmobile.   5. CONTRACTOR SELECTION: Contractor selection will be based on the proponent/bidder that submits the highest technically acceptable proposal provided that the estimated total price does not exceed the established budget.   6. OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Contractor Owned   7. MAXIMUM FUNDING: The maximum funding available for the Contract resulting from the bid solicitation is $550,000.00 (Goods and Services Tax or Harmonized Sales Tax extra, as appropriate). Bids valued in excess of this amount will be considered non-responsive. This disclosure does not commit Canada to pay the maximum funding available.   8. PERIOD OF CONTRACT: The period of the contract is from date of award to March 31, 2013.  [...]