The HUMVEE Goes Hybrid — Without comment.
Is the DoD going green? The new diesel-electric hybrid Shadow RST-V certainly makes it seems that way. It uses less than 50 percent of the normal fuel weight of a Humvee, and runs on four magnet motors and two lithium-ion battery packs.
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Interesting to see how much the interior space is improved, over a Humvee.
Humvee has high ground-clearance by moving the transfer case & drivelines into the passenger compartment i.e. that big tunnel running between driver and front-seat passenger.
Having an electric motor at each wheel will be like some farm equipment (harvester) with hydraulic motor at each wheel – with no weight of gearbox, transmission or drive-shafts, and no interior-space lost to them – either.
Green? I doubt that was the motive.
Real reason: Fuel is expensive.
It may have important strategic implications to double the mileage of these vehicles – it makes refuelling them less troublesome, they’ll be able to go deeper into enemy territory, that sort of thing…
Good to see the DoD doing this sort of thing, soon it will be cool to have a hybrid SUV! All those macho truck drivers will soon want one – can you hear them think? What, 12,000 cc? No way, that’s for sissys! My Helluvabigtruck is a 300cc hybrid and does 120 mpg!
Hope all goes well with these vehicles – they’re doing something good the wrong way, but it will be good in the end, anyway. 🙂 Great move!
Another advantage of electric vs diesel is that electric opreation is generally much, much quieter.
River crossings could be completely submerged, as running totally electric doesn’t need air.
Being able to start moving without starting the engine means that a vehicle can sit (quietly) and be ready to move instantly without wasting fuel at idle.
Having a motor at each corner means more redundancy…. 4 sources of motion instead of 1.
there are lots of benefits!
The idea gets my vote. Not just for the military stealth motive either. The civilian applications are overwhelming. As Miguel points out, soon it will be macho to boast about the vehicles effectiveness and efficiency. Also, as more hybrids come on stream, the capitol costs and further research will be spread out, making the civilian versions even more attractive.
Designline, down in New Zealand, makes my favorite Hybrid:
http://www.designline.co.nz/electric.html
Do these vehicles also include the “Big car Small dick” decal too?
And don’t even dream of getting a civilian version of the hybrid humvee considering that those who buy these cars tend to brag how much fuel they can waste with it, plus they will start yapping that a hybrid is a “chick” car; an oxymoron if you ask me since it’s the ones who drive big SUVs who drive in the middle of the night picking trannies to bone them.