Earlier this week, General Motors and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) made an announcement about an up-and-coming military spec vehicle that will be based on the Chevrolet Colorado and powered by hydrogen fuel cells- a fuel cell (often compared to a battery) that uses both hydrogen and oxygen as fuel to produce electricity and water. The electricity produced will be used to power the vehicle and the water will either be ejected or captured.
Though there is a push for electric vehicles throughout the entire automotive industry, the military segment is especially significant. A fuel-cell vehicle makes very little noise and the electric motors will reach their maximum torque almost instantly. This allows it to maneuver through rough terrain quietly. As far as charging goes, the fuel-cell vehicle does not require a station- just a supply of hydrogen. It even has the ability to be used as an electric generator and source of water.
The fuel-cell vehicle will be revealed this October at the Association of the United States Army fall meeting, located in Washington, D.C. Though the military has not stated whether or not they will use this type of vehicle in active duty, GM did state that a commercially viable fuel-cell vehicle is in the works for the 2020 time frame.
Only time will tell with this one. Who knows, maybe this technology will end up on future Chevy models!
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