Hybrid Military Pickup Trucks

[Bruce Levinson]

A new hybrid pickup truck complete with a fuel cell auxiliary power unit (APU) will be coming into service soon. However, don't look to drive one any time soon unless you're in the US Army.

The militarized version of the Chevy Silverado crew cab will have 20% greater fuel efficiency than conventional diesels. The APU unit will allow the truck to provide troops with clean, reliable electrical power.

Features on the military Silvardo include:

"Raytheon First Responder command and control equipment, infrared night vision camera and GM's "extreme mobility package" to meet harsh off-road conditions and payload requirements.

A 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel V-8 engine, which generates 210 horsepower and 545 lbs.-ft. of torque.

A diesel-electric hybrid powertrain that can operate as a self-contained generator, with the capability of providing up to 30kw "exportable" DC and AC electricity for troop operations in the field.

A fuel cell APU that is a 5-kilowatt proton exchange membrane (PEM) regenerative fuel cell system. It is capable of producing electricity and hydrogen in remote areas."

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[bq55]

It amazing that we were talking about this 8 years ago and we finally get the first announcement of a plug-in diesel hybrid. http://zautos.com/worlds-first-diese...uced-by-volvo/