Texelis unveils Celeris 4×4 advanced mobility solution for military vehicle OEMs.

On November 28, Texelis officially launched Celeris, its new turnkey offer for vehicle mobility that is aimed at OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and institutional partners looking to expand their portfolio by integrating modern, high-performance, military-grade mobility on their vehicles, without having to worry about adapting or developing a new mobility solution. Celeris is also a unique opportunity for companies looking forward to entering the vehicle market, by building their offer on a fully developed, qualified and proven solution.
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Celeris 4×4 comprises 12 base kits, such as axles, powerpack or steering, as well as more than 30 optional kits, depending on the exact configuration, planned use and performance needed (Picture source: Texelis)

Developing a new 4×4 is a very challenging endeavour. It requires the mastery of several fields, from mobility to armour and systems integration, in a very competitive market. Any OEM willing to add a 4×4 vehicle to its range has two options. One is to build on a commercial chassis, thus benefiting from low purchasing costs and large access to spare parts. However, that option does not provide a military-quality mobility solution, does not grant full control over the components and their settings, does not guarantee support and life cycle management for the vehicle, and requires heavy work to adjust it to the workload required of a military vehicle, thus almost cancelling the price argument and creating a world of technical issues to solve.

The other option is to develop a custom-made mobility solution. That strategy guarantees high performance, control over the components, life cycle management, support over 40 years and complete adequation to the actual needs of the end users. However, in-house development is expensive and can only be a sensible investment if commercial success is guaranteed.

With Celeris, Texelis offers the best of the two worlds: a complete, hassle-free, custom-made, turnkey solution, effectively granting the partner with its very own mobility solution, designed to meet his needs, including a tailored support system.

Celeris 4×4 comprises 12 base kits, such as axles, powerpack or steering, as well as more than 30 optional kits, depending on the exact configuration, planned use and performance needed. It can accommodate both self-supporting body vehicles as well as ladder-frame vehicles, enabling a wide range of architectures and uses. With its mass of about 4.5 tonnes including tyres, Celeris 4×4 can accommodate vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) ranging from 13 to 18 tonnes.

At the heart of Celeris 4×4 are the Texelis T750 axles, with a rear axle available both with trailing arms (9,5T load) and with double wishbone (8,5T load). The driveline combines a Cummins ISL9 Euro 3 diesel engine with an output of 375hp, an Allison 3200SP transmission with two-speed plus neutral transfer case.

Thanks to this configuration, a client OEM could decide to elect some kits and use some other components developed in-house or to be developed in-house, thus creating or honing strategic skills. For the same reason, Celeris can be instrumental for countries or OEMs willing to create or expand their automotive industry with a tight schedule. It is thus particularly suited for companies looking to increase local content in the framework of a wider contract.

The driveline combines a Cummins ISL9 Euro 3 diesel engine with an output of 375hp, an Allison 3200SP transmission with two-speed plus neutral transfer case (Picture source: Texelis)

Celeris benefits greatly from the experience gathered by the company in the framework of the Scorpion programme for the French Army. For the past 6 years, Texelis has been working on the Serval programme for the French Army, gaining considerable knowledge and expertise in the fields of mobility kits development and integration, as well as the process of qualifying a vehicle and planning its whole lifecycle. That experience has enabled Texelis to step up from its traditional business of designing and supplying axles to offering complete mobility packages and working with top-level OEMs such as French Defence leader Nexter, a company of KNDS. That expertise is now available.

To reach its ambitious goals on Serval and match the official requirements by the French DGA, Texelis has put together a complete, packaged offer by bringing together the very best their partner companies could offer. This team will keep working around Texelis to further increase the performance and capabilities of Celeris. The Serval programme, currently under production with 2,000 units ordered, also ensures long-term commitment and reduced costs of ownership for all fleets worldwide.

With Celeris, any OEM looking forward to find a new mobility solution will find a reliable and proven solution, at a very competitive cost, with more than 30 years of life cycle management and access to spares already guaranteed, as well as all future evolutions within the Celeris club.

Celeris is not just a rolling chassis to adapt to an armoured body. It is a complete environment in which Texelis team of experts bring their knowledge on mobility and integration to assist the customer throughout the complete development of the prototypes and first series of vehicles. They then hand over all existing documentation and setting tools, effectively making Texelis’ partner fully autonomous and in control of the vehicle, its settings and its support. As a complete environment, Celeris will keep evolving, but also expanding. A 6×6 variant is already being developed by Texelis and is now available for discussion.

With its mass of about 4.5 tonnes including tyres, Celeris 4×4 can accommodate vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) ranging from 13 to 18 tonnes (Picture source: Texelis)

Defense News November 2023