For a transport vehicle to be all it can be, the Army says it needs to run far on a tank of gas and provide portable power. To meet this goal, the military is developing a hybrid Humvee alternative that could boost the market for combination combustion-electric vehicles.

During last week's Society of Automotive Engineers' 2005 World Congress, the Army's Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center demonstrated a hybrid vehicle chassis that can be fitted with multiple bodies to replace Humvees, Jeeps, armored vehicles and pickup trucks.

Cutting fuel costs and reducing maintenance were the driving forces behind the decision to create hybrid vehicles, according to Hal Almand, the Army's light tactical forms team leader.

The vehicle is powered by a small, three-cylinder diesel engine and two hybrid motors. It would cost about $20,000 to manufacture and could replace a $65,000 Humvee, Almand said. The vehicles are expected to get about 50 miles per gallon, compared to the Humvee's current 11 mpg. "The more money we can save the better," Almand said.

Like the Toyota Prius, the prototype vehicle minimizes fuel use by running exclusively on the electric motors at low speeds or when idling. The Army designed the vehicle for easy repair by providing unobstructed access to the engine, electric motor and drive train. The batteries are located in the center of the chassis beneath the vehicle for easy access.

The vehicles would likely be used in non-tactical situations to transport soldiers within an Army base where the Humvee is overkill, according to Almand. The prototype vehicle was made from "off-the-shelf components" in less than 90 days to prove that the technologies are for real, he said.

Vehicles produced by the military have become adapted to become popular consumer models in the past, and the new hybrid platform could also make that transition, according to Dan Kahn, road test editor at automotive website Edmunds.com. Kahn said diesel hybrid vehicles are fuel-efficient "when used for short hops, like on a military base. It would be a perfect application and would save a lot of fuel."

Kahn said potential customers would include former soldiers who like to buy vehicles that they used while in the service. Hummer and Jeep owners love their vehicles because of their simple design and rugged looks, Kahn said, and an Army-produced diesel hybrid could follow in those vehicles' tracks and became a status symbol.

full article:
http://www.wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,67271,00.html

bah I should've gone to the SAE world congress this year, its only 15mins from here

That looks like the crappiest, most unstable thing in the world.

If it works though..

We need something that looks a bit more tough than that, I think Humvee will try to make a hybrid so it can keep it's contract, should be good.

where are they getting the desingers from?.. wait, nevermind, they already killed the h2 design...

thats good news i guess.. also by 2007 the Chevy malibu, Nissan Altima, Lexus GS, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Durango, GMC Yukon, Lexus RX400, Toyota Highlander, Mercury Mariner, Saturn VUE, Toyota Seinna, Dodge Ram, GM silveravdo/sierra will be hybrid! a few are coming out this year, some by 2006 and all by 2007.

i know for a fact that nissan is not going to develop its own hybrid engine, instead they're buying the technology from toyota.. press release said it wasn't about car sales.. it was about meeting some you EPA standards, especially the emission laws in California.

haha, I can only imagine someone likely uttered the same thing when they first layed eyes on the original hummer....

my question is, if they wanna go all 'fuel conservation-ist', what are they gonna do about the real gas hogs, like, ohhh, say the M1-A1? wait-wait-wait...how about the B-52

so nissan going hybrid too? nice. i would like to see more high powered hybrids, like accord. too bad accord hybrid cost so much it cancels out the savings on gas.
so instead of saving money you are just getting a bit more power and help save gas.

i think they're expensive because of the high demand.. i asked a few honda dealers and they said the wait time is about 4 - 9 months

Haha probably, but I think it's just the picture. Don't forget, the Alpha has a nine food wide base. (Or something like that)

i swear thats not plastic.

Seriously, hybrids are more maintenance. I can understand wanting to go further, but if you're dealing with a desert, then these things will destroy themselves in no time. I see this as a very bad move.

yeah, but it also said in the article that it was only being looked at (so far) as a means to take the strain off of fuel consumption by using the hybrids on base and in other non-combat/support areas where 11 MPG just isnt acceptable.

Seems like plenty of reasons to me