Chevrolet Debuts Colorado ZH2 Fuel Cell Test Vehicle

Chevrolet is testing the viability of using hydrogen-powered vehicles on military missions.

At the fall meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), the American automaker introduced the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 fuel-cell electric vehicle, the most extreme off-road-capable hydrogen vehicle Chevy has ever made. The truck is built on a stretched midsize pickup chassis and sits over 6.5-feet tall and more than seven-feet wide. The Colorado ZH2 has been reinforced inside and out, riding on 37-inch tires and a specially modified suspension that helps it climb over and descend all sorts of terrain.

The U.S. Army will be testing the Colorado ZH2 in extreme field conditions next year to determine the viability of hydrogen-powered vehicles on military missions.

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The pickup is the result of a collaboration between GM and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and features an Exportable Power Take-Off unit (EPTO) that allows the fuel cell to power activity away from the truck.

“The speed with which innovative ideas can be demonstrated and assessed is why relationships with industry are so important to the Army,” said Paul Rogers, director of TARDEC. “Fuel cells have the potential to expand the capabilities of Army vehicles significantly through quiet operation, exportable power and solid torque performance, all advances that drove us to investigate this technology further.”