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Army and EnerDel Working on Hybrid Humvee

by Terrence O'Brien on November 8, 2009 at 03:15 PM

With the economy the way it is, and your unemployment check the way it is, we know it's hard to maintain your douche status and keep that Hummer gassed up. But fear not. According to CNET, battery manufacturer EnerDel just signed a $1.29 million contract with the U.S. Army to design a full-sized Humvee that runs, at least in part, on electricity.

Back in August, Raser Technologies showed off a Hummer powered by a hybrid engine that, thanks to dubious methods of measuring mileage, was able to lay claim to getting 100 miles per gallon. But that Hummer was the smaller H3 consumer model. For those with real inadequacies, though, that need real overcompensation, the H3 just won't do. They need the proper Humvee. You know, the one that takes up four parking spots and blocks three lanes of interstate traffic.

Don't get too excited, though. The full-sized, hybrid Hummer will take some time before it becomes a reality, and it may never be made available to consumers. The design and testing period is expected to last 18 months, and will involve "extreme performance simulations." These extreme situations will entail parachuting the vehicle into various terrains and using its onboard diesel generator and batteries to provide power for a field hospital or temporary post.

EnerDel president Rick Stanley did say in a statement, "[We] expect that innovations perfected here will have important benefits for the commercial markets." Unfortunately, we doubt that "benefit" will be the removal of the Hummer from the consumer market. [From: CNET]

Tags: car, hummer, humvee, hybrid, Hybrid Hummer, HybridHummer, military, top

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