General Motors stokes renewed industry interest in hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles by unveiling a G.I. Joe-inspired concept pickup for the U.S. Army, and the automaker has followed up with a behind-the-scenes look at how the Chevy Colorado knockoff was assembled.
The imposing Colorado ZH2 stands more than 6.5 ft. (2 m) tall and rides on 37-in. tires and a modified suspension to tackle whatever terrain the Army might throw at it during field testing next year to determine if the technology is viable for real-world use on the battlefield. It also features a detachable power unit to power activity away from the vehicle in remote locations where there is no electricity.
The Army likes the idea of a tactical FCV, because the technology runs nearly silently, creates a reduced heat signature compared with traditional vehicles and uses less fuel than an internal-combustion engine. It also boasts lots of low-end torque for getting out of trouble quickly and emits water soldiers could drink in the field if necessary.
But automakers typically keep their FCV technology cloaked in secrecy for competitive reasons, which has created an air of mystery around them and added to consumer skepticism. A newly released video of the Colorado ZH2 could dispel some of that uncertainty.
It shows seemingly everyday engineers, absent lab coats and pocket protectors, bolting together the fuel-cell stack where oxygen and hydrogen combine to form electricity to power electric motors, and then dropping it onto the stretched Colorado chassis. Engineers also insert the hydrogen tanks, drivetrain, interior buck and wrap it with camouflaged sheet metal before adding wheels, tires, accessories and shipping it out the garage door like an episode of “Overhaulin.’”
Charlie Freese, executive director-Global Fuel Cell Activities at GM, calls assembly of the Colorado ZH2 an example of the automaker’s R&D muscle in the sector with its ability to create a purpose-built FCV.
“Over the next year, we expect to learn from the Army the limits of what a fuel-cell propulsion system can do when really put to the test,” Freese says in a statement.
GM says assembly of the Colorado ZH2 was performed at its Advanced Vehicle Integration facility in suburban Detroit and expects calibration testing of the truck to continue into early next year at its nearby proving grounds before turning it over to the Army for field research.
GM and Honda are collaborating on commercializing an FCV for the 2020 timeframe.
