GM-Military Diesel Hybrid/Fuel Cell APU: Frequently Asked Questions
FOR RELEASE: January 9, 2003GM-Military Diesel Hybrid/Fuel Cell APU: Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the other trucks being considered as part of the U.S. Army's COMBATT program?
A. GM Defense will deliver a portfolio of eight militarized prototypes based on the commercial Silverado. In addition to the diesel hybrid, the other vehicles include:
- One gasoline-electric parallel hybrid truck, powered by a 5.3-liter Vortec V-8 engine. The four-wheel-drive, crew cab pickup has a 2.4 kilowatt electric, 110-volt outlets for exportable power, and provides up to 12 percent better fuel economy over a straight gasoline-powered pickup.
- Two 1500 heavy-duty crew cab pickups, powered by 6.0-liter Vortec V-8s. The four-wheel-drive vehicles also are equipped with the Quadrasteer and an enhanced mobility package for off-road driving.
- Two 2500 heavy-duty crew cab pickups, powered by 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel V-8s. The four-wheel-drive trucks also are outfitted for severe off-road conditions.
- Two 2500 heavy-duty crew cab pickups, powered by 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel V-8s. These four-wheel-drive trucks have extreme off-road capability.
Q. Any plans to produce any of these vehicles for civilian use?
A. GM already sells the base trucks and intends to offer gasoline-electric parallel hybrid trucks later in 2003 as a 2004 model year product. Of course, some modifications of the commercial product are desired by the military customer.
Q. When will the trucks be delivered to the military?
A. The trucks will be delivered in the third- or fourth-quarter of 2003.
Q. Has GM been awarded a contract to build a new fleet of light tactical vehicles?
A. No. The bid process hasn't begun yet. The Army will evaluate the vehicles before establishing the procurement requirements.
Q. What is COMBATT an acronym for?
A. COMmercially BAsed Tactical Truck. The COMBATT program aims to adapt a modified commercial pickup truck to perform some missions assigned to light tactical vehicles. It leverages commercial technology to reduce the cost of developing and acquiring a light tactical vehicle.
Other goals of the program include taking advantage of the high-volume commercial production lines; cost reduction of spares via commercial distribution; incorporating innovative procurement concepts, such as fleet leasing and contract logistical support; and providing continuous improvement via automotive technology at no cost to the Army.
Q. Does the fuel cell auxiliary power unit (APU) use a GM fuel cell stack?
A. No, but future vehicles will.
Q. Is the fuel cell APU an existing Hydrogenics product?
A. Fuel cell APU technology is in the product development stage at Hydrogenics. This particular unit was built especially for the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank-automotive and Armaments Command) in Warren, Mich. TACOM asked GM to integrate it into a diesel hybrid truck.
Q. How much power does the fuel cell APU provide?
A. It produces 5 kilowatts of electricity, which is roughly enough to power a typical single-family house.
Q. Is a hydride storage system suitable for automotive applications?
A. Yes, but not at the current level of technology. Hydrides are still too heavy and expensive for an automotive application.
Q. Isn't Hydrogenics Corp. a partner of GM?
A. Yes. Hydrogenics is one of GM's strategic fuel cell partners. GM has a 24-percent stake in Hydrogenics and has licensed some of its fuel cell technology to Hydrogenics for certain civilian and military applications.
Q. What vehicles has GM provided to the Defense Department in the past?
A. GM has a long history as a provider of reliable transportation products and components to the U.S. government. In addition to more than 100,000 postal vehicles in use today by the U.S. Postal Service, the Defense Department has purchased thousands of cars and trucks for military use. The principal commercial utility cargo vehicle used by the Army today is the GM truck. Every HMMWV has a GM diesel engine and Hydra-Matic transmission. The standard large army trucks also have Allison transmissions, as does the M-1 tank and most other Army-tracked vehicles, except for the Bradley.