WARREN – The U.S. Army’s Detroit-area automotive research facility is now set to test the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle and evaluate the readiness of Fuel Cell propulsion in military-like environments and uses.
The announcement was made Monday during the North American International Auto Show press preview days. The show opens to the public Saturday.
Leading the Army’s effort is its Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in nearby Warren. TARDEC officially unveiled the vehicle at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army in October.
Soldiers will have the opportunity to evaluate the performance of the Fuel Cell system in the truck at Fort Carson, Colorado, for a planned evaluation period June 26-30, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in August. TARDEC intends to add additional evaluation periods, but they have not yet been planned. TARDEC’s engineers plan to evaluate the noise and thermal signature of the vehicle’s engine, the value of its low-end torque capability, and the usefulness of the exportable power feature of the engine.
“The potential capabilities hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can bring to the Warfighter are extraordinary, and our engineers and scientists are excited about the opportunity to exercise the limits of this demonstrator,” said TARDEC Director Paul Rogers.
“FCEVs are very quiet vehicles, which scouts, special operators and other specialties place a premium,” he said. “What’s more, fuel cells generate water as a by-product, something extremely valuable in austere environments.”
In addition to the Soldiers’ evaluations of the vehicle, TARDEC officials are also scheduled to conduct Hydrogen Fuel Cell workshops, aimed at educating policy-makers and leaders from the Departments of Defense and Energy about Fuel Cells, their potential, and the technological landscape for their use. The first of these workshops is scheduled for later in January.
