- Diesel engine seems to cost solely, with electrical motors offering propulsion
- The formulation balances army gasoline infrastructure with stealthier electrical propulsion
- GM beforehand deserted truck hybrids however this yr confirmed PHEVs are coming
Normal Motors has turned a Chevrolet Silverado heavy-duty pickup truck right into a combat-ready hybrid.
Unveiled this week on the annual assembly of the Affiliation of the U.S. Military (AUSA), the GM Subsequent Gen tactical automobile prototype is predicated on the off-road-focused Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2. However as an alternative of the gasoline or diesel V-8 engines of civilian fashions, the tactical truck combines a smaller 2.8-liter turbodiesel inline-4 with a 12-module battery pack and electrical motors powering the entrance and rear axles.
2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2
GM’s light-on-details description of the mission sounds comparable in method to the plug-in hybrid system used within the defunct Chevrolet Volt, through which the engine is primarily used as a generator for electrical motors that present most of the particular propulsion. On this case, they may present all the propulsion, which might make it a sequence hybrid.
Assuming the modules on this battery pack are the identical large-format pouch-cell modules GM beforehand termed Ultium, this could provide about the identical 102-kwh battery capability—sufficient to go greater than 100 miles all-electric, even in a cumbersome armored army truck.
GM deserted hybrids of any type just a few years in the past, however earlier this yr it indicated it will convey plug-in hybrid powertrains again.
The electrified powertrain presents a number of benefits, in response to the corporate, together with the power to silently ingress and egress from harmful areas, and a decrease thermal signature that additionally makes the truck more durable to detect. Use of a diesel engine additionally makes logistics easier, because the truck can make the most of present army fueling infrastructure if charging is not accessible, GM argues.
GM Protection Subsequent Gen tactical automobile prototype
The battery pack can be used as an influence supply for gear, and the truck retains most of the driver aids from civilian fashions, together with antilock brakes, stability management, and a 360-degree digital camera system. It is accessible in two-, four- and six-seat configurations.
GM has tried to repurpose a few of its different EV tech for army functions. In 2021, the automaker introduced plans to construct prototypes of an all-electric army automobile primarily based on the GMC Hummer EV, and unveiled an idea model in 2023. Earlier this yr, GM additionally stated it was supplying batteries to the army for analysis functions, however primarily vitality storage quite than electrical autos.
