At an annual association meeting, General Motors and the U.S. Army unveiled the monstrous Chevrolet Colorado ZH2, which is a massive pickup truck powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The tank research center of the U.S. Army collaborated with General Motors to build the vehicle, which will be undergoing testing in Michigan starting 2017.
The ZH2 is a modified version of the midsize Colorado pickup truck that is available to consumers, but simply stating "modified" does not do justice to how different the ZH2 is compared to the Colorado.
The first and foremost difference for the ZH2 is its size, being 6.5 feet tall and 7 feet wide compared to the maximum 5.9 feet in height and 6.2 feet in width of the Colorado. The vehicle also comes with 37-inch tires, a specially reinforced frame for all-terrain driving and improved suspension for off-road situations.
The main differentiator for the ZH2, however, is its drivetrain that is powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, which, according to General Motors, gives it several unique characteristics that will benefit the U.S. Army.
With hydrogen fuel cell technology, the ZH2 will not be releasing any emissions and will be nearly silent while moving, advantages that will allow the vehicle to be harder to detect from its temperature and noise. The technology will also provide the ZH2 with high wheel torque across all speeds, making it more capable of climbing inclines and towing objects.
The fuel consumption for the ZH2 will be lower compared to traditional trucks. In addition, the by-product of hydrogen fuel cell drivetrains is water. With the two gallons of water per hour that it will be producing, it will be something that the U.S. Army could find uses for in the field, especially in desert environments. The hydrogen fuel cells can also be tapped to provide power to other devices and equipment in situations that require it.
These characteristics are the ones that will be evaluated by the U.S. Army in the testing of the vehicle, along with its potential usage in combat situations. Testing is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
The main disadvantage of the ZH2 and hydrogen fuel cell technology used as power sources in vehicles in general is the difficulty of storing the hydrogen needed to refuel, as the gas requires high-pressure containers or very low temperatures. In addition, the ZH2 would be more difficult to repair in the field compared to trucks, which use standard engines.
The ZH2 will only be available for U.S. Army usage. Customers interested in the technology can take a look at the Toyota Mirai or wait for Tesla Motors' upcoming version of a vehicle with hydrogen fuel cells.
