BY PATRICK TUCKER
Imagine you’re a U.S. Special Forces operator on a dangerous mission. You need to hit a terrorist’s mountainside compound without the host country knowing that you’re there, so you need a ride that’s quiet and carries a low thermal signature. General Motors has a truck that they want to put you in.
The Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 is an electric truck powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that runs far quieter and cooler (between 60 to 80 degrees Celsius) than conventional automobiles. It’s almost a forward operating base unto itself, capable of producing 25 kilowatts of continuous power (and up to 50 kilowatts at peak output), along with two gallons of water per hour. The vehicle itself is a modified Chevy Colorado, rigged for off-road performance with bigger tires, better suspension, longer wheelbase, etc.
Unveiled Monday at the Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington, D.C., the ZH2 is a technology demonstrator, so it’s not going to hit the battlefield yet.
The truck was developed in partnership with the Army’s Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center, or TARDEC, which entered a unique research collaboration with GM to make sure the ZH2 could meet military requirements. TARDEC entered into a contract with GM a year ago to produce the demonstrator.
http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2016/10/gm-has-built-stealth-truck-army/132032/?oref=d-dontmiss
