Army to test electric tactical vehicle

[unhappycamper]

Army to test electric tactical vehicle
Staff writer - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Nov 8, 2009 13:22:14 EST

Electricity has been the military’s fuel of choice for the very large (2,500-ton submarines) and the very small (12-pound unmanned aerial vehicles), but not for the vast middle ground of tactical vehicles.

A vehicle maker hopes to change that with the HEMTT-A3, a hulking hybrid truck. Oshkosh Corp. says the vehicle consumes 20 percent less fuel, requires less maintenance than current trucks and can double as a power source for field hospitals or command centers.

Dubbed the “heavy expanded mobility tactical truck,” the vehicle is headed to Army proving grounds this fall to undergo durability, reliability and performance tests.

The U.S. has spent years testing vehicles that run in part or entirely on electricity, said Paul Skalny, director of the Army’s National Automotive Center. So far, the service has not embraced them.

The Army has a few hybrid electric Humvees for testing — “probably less than 10,” Skalny said. And it has tested hybrid utility vehicles, maneuver vehicles and fuel-cell-powered vehicles.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/army_hybrid_110809w/

[d_r]

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