Indigenous 600HP Engine CVRDE: India’s CVRDE, a DRDO lab, made a new 600 HP engine with help from Ashok Leyland. This engine is built for future army vehicles. The team tested it for performance, and the engine passed those tests. Now the team has started the next step, which is called durability testing. This part checks how strong the engine is when it works for a long time in hard places.
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CVRDE said this new engine shows the skill of Indian engineers. They believe the engine can help India’s combat vehicles move better and work well in tough land like deserts or mountains. The lab wants the Indian Army to depend more on engines made inside the country.
Key features of the new powerpack:
- Rated power (design): 600 HP @ 2000 rpm
- Peak power achieved in trials: 675 HP @ 2000 rpm (with electronic governor override)
- Specific power: >26 HP/ton when mated to future 30-35-ton platforms
- Torque: >2,800 Nm flat curve from 1,300-1,700 rpm
- Weight: 71,650 kg (complete powerpack with cooling system)
- Cooling: Upgraded liquid-cooled with a high-efficiency radiator and smart thermal management
- Electronics: Full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) with health & usage monitoring (HUMS)
- Altitude performance: No derating up to 4,500 m (critical for Ladakh and Sikkim operations)
How does the Engine work?
CVRDE chose Ashok Leyland as a partner because that company already builds many heavy vehicles for India. Together, they designed a V-8 diesel engine that makes about 600 HP at around 3,000 rpm. It also makes strong torque, close to 1,505 Nm. This level of power is good for army machines that carry soldiers and equipment.
The team first checked the engine in performance tests. These tests measured power, heat, and how the engine behaves under different loads. After the engine passed these tests, CVRDE began durability trials. In this stage, the team runs the engine in fake real-life conditions.
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They test it in high heat and rough terrain. They also run it for very long hours to make sure it does not break. CVRDE said the engine will face “real-world conditions, including high temperatures, rugged terrains, and extended operational hours.”
This step is very important because army vehicles need engines that do not fail when used for long missions. If the engine passes durability testing, the army can trust it more.
