GM’s HMMWV (Humvee) Substitute: A Stepping Stone To Extra EVs

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Everybody is aware of concerning the legendary “Humvee,” formally known as the HMMWV, which stands for Excessive Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Automobile. For many years, it’s been the primary journey for not solely the U.S. navy, however for different militaries globally. Earlier than it grew to become the usual, the U.S. navy used a wide range of different automobiles, like the unique Jeep, an upgraded Vietnam-era Jeep, in addition to a variety of different automobiles, together with customary GM sq. physique vans.

However, just like the U.S. Postal Service’s Grumman LLV, the design and most of the vans themselves are getting a little bit lengthy within the tooth. When it first went into service, Ronald Reagan was in workplace, Whitney Houston’s debut album got here out, New Coke was launched, and Again to the Future (half one) was in theaters! Given how a lot automotive expertise has modified, it’s solely pure that the navy could be trying to do one thing a little bit newer.

Not too long ago, Navy Instances had an opportunity to see what GM would do if requested to exchange the HMMWV, and so they did a video assessment, very similar to a publication would do for any vehicle! (abstract and dialogue under the embedded video)

At a GM proving floor, retired Basic John Johnson, who now works with GM Protection, offered the brand new truck. Not like the HMMWV, GM’s tech demonstrator relies on the identical body because the Chevy Silverado, however with a hybrid powertrain as an alternative of a straight diesel engine. By combining diesel (the gasoline the navy largely makes use of immediately) with batteries, gasoline effectivity is vastly improved together with permitting the truck to have a couple of different tips up its sleeve.

For one, the truck is extraordinarily quiet in comparison with the HMMWV. As a hybrid, it doesn’t begin its engine straight away, and may keep away from burning gasoline at low speeds. It even has an EV mode (labeled as silent mode) that may give troopers (and other people from different providers) the flexibility to be additional stealthy when wanted. In hybrid mode, it will probably run the diesel engine extra like a generator, making the automobile sound much more like a bit of building gear than a truck.

GM hopes to make use of this expertise demonstrator to show that the expertise for hybrid and even EV drive is there immediately for militaries. This isn’t some far-out future factor that militaries should purchase within the 2040s. It’s one thing they’ll purchase now, energy with current provide strains, and put proper to work doing the whole lot that immediately’s HMMWVs do, plus extra.

GM can be searching for suggestions from everybody from journalists to navy personnel in any respect ranges to international allied militaries with a purpose to ensure that the automobile can maintain bettering towards a manufacturing mannequin. That is removed from a ultimate design, so there’s loads of time to enhance issues.

One other key factor the corporate needs to supply over the present HMMWV providing is security. Rollover safety, digital stability management and anti-lock brakes, a harness system, and different issues that individuals would anticipate after driving regular automobiles are all included. This helps troopers who grew up driving regular automobiles with these security applied sciences have a neater time getting began with out getting in over their heads. Everybody hasn’t pushed a basic truck off-road!

Not lengthy after the interview, GM Protection took this truck together with some others (together with an all-electric mannequin) to AUSA, an occasion the place navy consumers and troopers can get hands-on appears at navy gear of every kind.

The press launch for that occasion gave us much more details about the automobile. Particularly, it’s constructed atop the Silverado HD platform, beginning principally with a 3500HD (one-ton truck) and the ZR2 suspension and off-road package deal. Then, as an alternative of a bigger V8 or inline-six diesel engine bigger vans like this sometimes get, the automobile has the smaller 2.8L turbodiesel engine that sometimes is available in smaller vans just like the Colorado. To make this small engine do the job, it’s paired with a pretty big (by civilian requirements) 12-module battery pack, powering drove motors for the entrance and rear axles.

In different phrases, it’s no Prius. It’s an precise truck, however it’s additionally extra of an EV with a variety extender than it’s a typical parallel hybrid. The diesel engine by no means sends energy on to the wheels, as an alternative solely retaining the battery pack topped up as wanted. Because of this the automobile can be utilized to do issues that no navy automobile presently in service does.

“Subsequent Gen’s ‘wow’ issue is true behind the wheel,” mentioned John ‘JD’ Johnson, vp of GM Protection’s Authorities Options and Technique Division. “Clients have to drive this extremely succesful automobile to see, really feel, and listen to the advantages. Subsequent Gen essentially modifications the dialogue round fashionable mobility by way of the tactical advantages delivered by its propulsion system, together with its means to handle the facility hole within the formation. This extremely succesful tactical automobile leverages billions of {dollars} of investments GM has made in R&D and innovation to boost warfighter functionality. We encourage prospects to check drive it in order that we are able to get these capabilities fielded instantly.”

Why Not Go Full Electrical?

I’d like to see militaries go full-electric. This sounds unrealistic to many individuals, however within the long-run, it could possibly be so much higher. As an alternative of being a slave to produce strains hundreds of miles lengthy, a navy with electrical automobiles can use something for energy. Nuclear, mills working on any gasoline sort, energy from naval ships, transportable photo voltaic, and lots of extra issues could possibly be used to maintain the automobiles working with out the vulnerability and value of bringing gasoline from across the globe.

However, electrification wants to start out someplace. Having electrical and hybrid automobiles that may slot into immediately’s provide strains is a good way to convey militaries from the “Chevy Volt” stage to the trendy BEV stage. In spite of everything, we EV drivers didn’t all the time drive EVs (except you’re a very younger EV proprietor, after all). As soon as some great benefits of part-time electrical drive develop into obvious, it will likely be simpler for the business to maneuver ahead.

I reached out to GM Protection to see in the event that they’d allow us to get an in-person take a look at GM’s EV and hybrid navy expertise demonstrators within the close to future. Be sure you subscribe or observe us on social media to see the newest. You may also observe me on X/Twitter to look out for extra outdoor-related EV content material!

Featured picture by GM Protection.