The programme includes two of the original Powered Carriage variants and five of the new Non-Powered Carriage variants and is valued at over £7.5 million. SC Innovation will build the vehicles to meet the RNLI’s schedule requirements at a rate of one to two per year at its facility at Dunkeswell, Devon. The first is due for delivery in November 2017 and final vehicle completion in 2021.
SC Innovation has already built eight of the twelve SL&RVs delivered to date. The engineering and design services company jointly designed and developed the vehicle with the RNLI Engineering Project Team and was also responsible for the design of the Non-Powered variant, which is currently undergoing prototype trials.
The original variant’s carriage is powered by a four-track-drive system to deliver the exceptional traction needed to negotiate steep gradients and rough shingle. Joe Wilcox, Head of SC Innovation, said, “The new two-track-drive variant has been designed specifically for the RNLI’s less demanding locations to assist the RNLI in delivering optimised capability for the greatest value at lifeboat stations with more benign conditions.”