General Motors introduced the new Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 army truck during the fall meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). The car is the first off-road fuel-cell powered electric vehicle from the American automaker.
According to a press release from General Motors, the physically imposing Colorado ZH2 is the most extreme off-road-capable fuel-cell-powered electric vehicle ever to come from the company. With a specially modified suspension, the 6½ feet tall and more than 7 feet wide truck can handle all terrains.
The Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 is the result of cooperation between GM and the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), as reported by The Detroit News. In November last year, GM and TARDEC made an agreement to develop a military vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells. TARDEC director Paul Rogers is impressed with the car and he expressed TARDEC's commitment to continue expand the capabilities of fuel cells in Army vehicles.
"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," Rogers said.
Hydrogen fuel cells are capable of converting hydrogen into electric power to provide longer range and endurance than conventional car battery. The fuel-cell vehicles can run on renewable hydrogen from wind and biomass and only discharge water vapor emission.
The ZH2 is a modified version of the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup produced for the consumer market, as reported by Tech Crunch. It was built based on the GMT 700 platform with modified engine components to house the hydrogen fuel-cell based power train.
The US Army will test the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 next year in extreme field conditions to determine its viability and visibility on military missions. With hydrogen fuel-cell technology, the ZH2 is able to conduct an "almost silent operation" with a significant reduction in accoustic and thermal signatures.
Watch the preview of Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 from Car News' YouTube channel below:
