- Diesel engine appears to charge only, with electric motors providing propulsion
- The formula balances military fuel infrastructure with stealthier electric propulsion
- GM previously abandoned truck hybrids but this year confirmed PHEVs are coming
General Motors has turned a Chevrolet Silverado heavy-duty pickup truck into a combat-ready hybrid.
Unveiled this week at the annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), the GM Next Gen tactical vehicle prototype is based on the off-road-focused Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2. But instead of the gasoline or diesel V-8 engines of civilian models, the tactical truck combines a smaller 2.8-liter turbodiesel inline-4 with a 12-module battery pack and electric motors powering the front and rear axles.
2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2
GM’s light-on-details description of the project sounds similar in approach to the plug-in hybrid system used in the defunct Chevrolet Volt, in which the engine is primarily used as a generator for electric motors that provide most of the actual propulsion. In this case, they might provide all the propulsion, which would make it a series hybrid.
Assuming the modules in this battery pack are the same large-format pouch-cell modules GM previously termed Ultium, this would offer about the same 102-kwh battery capacity—enough to go more than a hundred miles all-electric, even in a bulky armored military truck.
GM abandoned hybrids of any kind a few years ago, but earlier this year it indicated it would bring plug-in hybrid powertrains back.
The electrified powertrain offers several advantages, according to the company, including the ability to silently ingress and egress from dangerous areas, and a lower thermal signature that also makes the truck harder to detect. Use of a diesel engine also makes logistics less complicated, since the truck can utilize existing military fueling infrastructure if charging isn’t available, GM argues.
GM Defense Next Gen tactical vehicle prototype
The battery pack can also be used as a power source for equipment, and the truck retains many of the driver aids from civilian models, including antilock brakes, stability control, and a 360-degree camera system. It’s available in two-, four- and six-seat configurations.
GM has tried to repurpose some of its other EV tech for military applications. In 2021, the automaker announced plans to build prototypes of an all-electric military vehicle based on the GMC Hummer EV, and unveiled a concept version in 2023. Earlier this year, GM also said it was supplying batteries to the military for research purposes, but mainly looking at energy storage rather than electric vehicles.
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