General Motors [GM] on Monday unveiled a rugged off-road truck powered solely by an hydrogen fuel cell.
The Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 rolled out at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual exposition in Washington, D.C., will undergo Army field testing next year to validate the suitability of hydrogen-powered vehicles for combat duty and a variety of military mission.
The Army will evaluate the ZH2 fuel cell for its ability to run near-silent for covert operations, reduced acoustic and thermal signatures, high wheel torque at all speeds using the electric drive, low fuel consumption across operating range and water by-product for field uses.
GM and the Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) collaborated to develop the Colorado ZH2 from contract to concept in less than a year using a range of military and commercial advanced technologies.
“The speed with which innovative ideas can be demonstrated and assessed is why relationships with industry are so important to the Army,” TARDEC director Paul Rogers said in a prepared statement. “Fuel Cells have the potential to expand the capabilities of Army vehicles significantly through quiet operation, exportable power and solid torque performance, all advances that drove us to investigate this technology further.”
GM and TARDEC have fuel cell development laboratories located 20 miles apart in southeast Michigan. Most of the Colorado ZH2 was assembled in GM’s Advanced Vehicle Integration facility in Warren. Calibration testing at GM’s Milford Proving Ground will continue into early 2017 when the vehicle will be turned over to the Army for a year of field testing.
Built on a stretched mid-size pickup truck chassis, the truck stands 6.5 feet tall and seven feet wide, rides on 37-inch wheels and a specially modified suspension that helps the vehicle negotiate difficult off-road terrain.
Reinforced inside and out, the ZH2 rides on 37-inch tires and a specially modified suspension that helps the vehicle climb over and descend all manner of terrain.
The Colorado ZH2 features an Exportable Power Take-Off unit (EPTO) that allows the fuel cell to power activity outside the vehicle in remote locations where electric power may otherwise be unavailable.
“The Colorado ZH2 is a terrific example of GM’s engineering and design skill in creating an off-road vehicle relevant to a range of potential users,” said Charlie Freese, executive director of GM Global Fuel Cell Activities. “Over the next year, we expect to learn from the Army the limits of what a fuel cell propulsion system can do when really put to the test.”
The contract is GM’s second vehicle development collaboration with a military service announced this year. In June, the Navy unveiled a GM fuel cell-powered unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) that is currently in pool testing before eventual deployment. The UUV uses the same fuel-cell technology as the Colorado ZH2.