New US Army Diesel Hybrid: Fast, Quiet, Gas $aver

The US Army has a new diesel hybrid prototype that may someday replace the aging HUMVEE. Here's the funny part -- it looks an AWFUL LOT like the jeep in Halo. No kidding.
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BenzW124 - 8/18/2007 11:21:50 AM

-4 Boost

Americans are stupid. They buy Lexus and hybrids.

gem069 - 8/18/2007 1:59:44 PM

+3 Boost

Yes a diesel/hybrid would save them quite a bit of suppling fuel and as the military basicly only uses diesel and no gas so only one inventory of fuel needed for all. Too bad the auto makers don't do the same with Diesel/hybrid instead os gas/hybrid!

tundrahq - 8/19/2007 3:42:33 AM

+1 Boost

Hydrogen is far from workable -- for starters, where the *heck* are we gonna buy it? If a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle came it tomorrow, there would be nowhere to fill it up. There needs to be a national distribution network for that to work.

Secondly, most hydrogen is derived from cracking complex hydrocarbon chains found in oil and natural gas. We'll still be oil dependent. Considering cracking these chains is less efficient than burning them, hydrogen fuel cells are a misleading idea.

Fuel cells are a great concept, and I really hope they work someday, but right now gas and diesel hybrids make the most sense. Toyota, Ford, and Honda have gotten behind them -- why won't you?

Spectator - 8/20/2007 3:48:32 PM

+1 Boost

I'm a huge proponent for Diesel hybrids. And for the military to do this is phenomenal. Of course the military has money to burn and diesel-hybrids are a very expensive technology nowadays. So unfortunatly I don't know how well this will translate to the civilian market...but I hope it does.

As everyone and their brother knows, those M1's are gas hogs. That's what you get when you put a turbine engine in somthing that can't operate at a more fuel friendly "altitute". They run about a mile and then need to refill. That's a major problem for the US military noadays. We have the most advanced technology around but logistically our fuel consumption is a nightmare. What good is a state of the art battle tank...if it can't get to the battle...or if it get's there it shuts down.

That's why the Humvee's run off diesel. Hopfully when the US design's it's replacment vehicles...it will continue to look at fuel usage...and not just in being ecologically sound, but in actually helping our troops perform their jobs in a safer manner.