This past week, both General Motors and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) announced a military spec vehicle- based on the Chevrolet Colorado and powered by hydrogen fuel cells- is in the works. Not sure what that means? A hydrogen fuel cell is a fuel cell that uses both oxygen and hydrogen as fuel to produce electricity and water. The electricity produced is used to power the vehicle and the water is either ejected from the vehicle or captured for other use. Throughout the last decade, there has been a push for electric vehicles throughout the entire automotive industry due to zero tailpipe emissions and cheaper operation. However, they’re especially significant in the military segment. A fuel-cell vehicle is quiet and its electric motor offers high torque-power delivered almost immediately to the wheels. This allows the vehicle to move through rough terrain quietly. When it comes to charging, a fuel-cell vehicle does not require a station- just a supply of hydrogen. It also has the ability to be used as an electric generator and source of water.
The military has not officially stated whether or not they will use this type of vehicle in active duty, however GM did state that a commercially viable fuel-cell vehicle could be headed this way in the 2020 time frame.
The Colorado-based fuel-cell vehicle will be revealed this October at the Association of the United States Army fall meeting in Washington, D.C.
Guess we’ll see how it goes! Maybe some of this technology will end up on future Chevrolet models!
In the meantime, be sure to stop by Chuck Hutton Chevrolet to check out our current Chevrolet lineup!
No comments:
Post a Comment