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A Hybrid M113?

by on May 28, 2008 in Tech

Yeah, apparently:

I guess the $4 a gallon gas price is hitting the Pentagon too…

Comments (12)

Comments

  1. bullnav says:
    May 28, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    Interesting concept, but I would be curious to see what kind of mileage it actually gets. In a hybrid-electric car/SUV, you gain fuel economy by regenerative braking, i.e., using the energy expended when the wheels are slowing down to recharge the battery. The engine will also assist in recharging.

    I think this would provide more advantages in the way of IR signature reduction and roominess on the interior rather than fuel economy.

  2. Han Solo says:
    May 28, 2008 at 6:45 pm

    For urban environments a hybrid would be a serious tactical advantage.

    Being able to run around in a vehicle that is nearly silent and does not generate much heat would be a very major plus.

  3. exarmyclerk says:
    May 28, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Absolute coolness. I want one…

    Captain’s chairs in an APC…hoodathunk?

    My one acre back yard should be JUST big enough to play with it.

    Seriously, sounds like a good concept. Question is, how battlefield practical would it be? How vulnerable would it be?

  4. andrewdb says:
    May 28, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    The cost of gas at the point of delivery on the battlefield is closer to $100 per gallon – it isn’t cheap to get it there under combat conditions, and yes, this is a big issue for the Pentagon.

  5. Doug (old Army Corporal) says:
    May 29, 2008 at 7:37 am

    Gotta love the captain’ chair, very plush. Even better is it doesn’t look like you have to break track anymore. Not sure how you fix a continuos tread like that, but it can’t be any worse then banging away with a sledge hammer.

  6. SSG Jeff (USAR) says:
    May 29, 2008 at 8:12 am

    Cute. Looks like the M114′s we used as targets in Basic training in the 80s.

    That said…. I suspect the idea has potential.

  7. Kevin says:
    May 29, 2008 at 10:47 am

    While this is an interesting concept, is there any increased danger (beyond, you know, exploding ordinance, concussion, and shrapnel) of all those batteries spraying acid all around if the vehicle is hit by and IED/RPG/etc.? Is that even a consideration/concern for something like this?

  8. exarmyclerk says:
    May 29, 2008 at 2:04 pm

    Kevin, my point, exactly. How tough is it and what happens if it takes one in the batteries…? Ouch…

    So, when it’s not on batteries, it’s a diesel/electric locomotive. Good concept. It’s worked fine for the Union Pacific!

  9. LtCol P says:
    May 29, 2008 at 4:51 pm

    Interesting, and definitely worth a look. I wonder if it has a shitter in the back, like the Warrior? And if so, is it an enviro-friendly composting shitter?

  10. Slab says:
    May 30, 2008 at 8:54 am

    They need to give a couple to a platoon of grunts out at Ft Irwin or 29 Palms and tell them, “Drive it until you break it.” I’ll get excited if they can’t break it in a week.

  11. Jim S. says:
    May 30, 2008 at 11:10 am

    @bullnav: I’m pretty sure that regenerative braking is only a small factor in the improved fuel economy of hybrids. The bigger factors are that they typically run efficient miller cycle engines that, because of the un-coupled electric drive, can always be run at their most efficient rpm.

  12. Eric Blair says:
    June 5, 2008 at 7:37 am

    What a cute little machine! Somebody wants to muscle in on the Stryker.

    I want to see what happens when it throws a track. And replacing track–who would be carrying the spares? Battlion level? Higher?

    But, and interesting idea for coin ops.