Humvee? Hummer? What are those? Sorry if my memory went blank when those words were mentioned when I saw reports of the Chevrolet’s Colorado ZH2 as the U.S. Army’s fuel cell test truck. This is the latest story in which already commercially available vehicles are being considered for use in the U.S. Army, and in this case Chevrolet’s offering a fuel cell version of its Colorado midsize pickup truck.
Working with the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC), General Motors had the Chevrolet’s Colorado ZH2 modified with a reinforced frame for all-terrain use while the engine has been modified to accommodate the fuel cell power train. According to GM, using fuel cells can provide certain advantages for the U.S. Army.
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Just like electric-powered vehicles, fuel cells offer near-silent operation as the hydrogen burning generator actually powers an electric motor and also provides “high wheel torque at all speeds”. Furthermore, its byproduct, or emission if you want to call it that way, is water instead of exhaust fumes and can be used for other purposes, such as being a power unit in the field.
The images used here show a badass truck that is in agreement with vehicle design trends with more curves than corners. The ZH2 is 6.5 feet tall and 7 feet wide, camo paint job, slotted headlights, and flared wheel arches. If this is offered at a dealership, people loaded with money and have a thing for Offroaders would form a beeline to get this one. But if you are in the service and your unit gets to use one of these, many would probably volunteer for missions if this vehicle will be used just for the joy of riding on one.
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Apart from near-silent operation it is cooler to use making it harder to detect with thermal imaging devices that many armies use nowadays. For operations that require speed and stealth, the ZH2 can be a choice for special operations forces.
According to GM the ZH2 is scheduled to finish calibration at its Milford Proving Ground in early 2017, after that, it will be handed off to the Army for a year of field testing.
For airsoft players who own a Chevy Colorado, they might want to look into the designs of the ZH2 and have theirs modded to look like one, including its camo paint job. It should look really cool when it gets brought to a milsim event. If you want a model closer the ZH2, look into the Chevy Colorado Xtreme Concept Truck.