Army-GM Team to Build Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

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The U.S. Army, in collaboration with General Motors, is scheduled to unveil a new concept vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells this October at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting, according to The Engineer.co.uk.

Developed under a 2015 agreement between GM and the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centre, or TARDEC, the vehicle will be based on a Chevrolet Colorado.

The Pentagon has previously expressed its intention to include commercial innovation in its next-generation technologies. Hydrogen fuel cells – long studied by the car industry – could also deliver a range of benefits to military vehicles, including quieter movement, exportable power generation, low-end torque and water generation.

”Hydrogen fuel cells as a power source have the potential to bring to the force incredibly valuable capabilities,” said TARDEC director Paul Rogers. “We expect the vehicle to be quiet in operation and ready to provide electricity generation for needs away from the vehicle.

“With fuel cell technology advancing, it’s an ideal time to investigate its viability in extreme military-use conditions. Fuel cell propulsion has low-end torque capability that is useful in an off-road environment. It also offers additional characteristics attractive to both commercial and military off-road use.”

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