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Army has Humvee-like hybrid
Lightweight utility vehicle has interchangeable bodies, a removable engine and gets 50 mpg.
April 21, 2005: 5:17 PM EDT
By Steve Hargreaves, CNN/Money staff writer
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The military version of the MP Hybrid.
The military version of the MP Hybrid.
Its more free-spirited civilian cousin.
Its more free-spirited civilian cousin.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - If there's one thing that could help hybrid vehicles shed their image as the ride of choice for tree-hugging peacenicks, it's the U.S. Army using them to barrel across the desert in some forlorn location where no Prius would dare tread.

The same U.S. Army -- known for the 11 mpg Humvee utility vehicle and the M1 tank, which needs two gallons to go a mile -- recently unveiled a 50 mpg hybrid utility vehicle that can replace the Humvee on many assignments.

Known as the MP Hybrid, the vehicle was developed both to save money on fuel and to fill a gap caused by redeployment of regular Humvees from U.S. bases to overseas assignments.

"The Army uses a lot of fuel," said Germaine Fuller from the Army's National Automotive Center, a research and development department charged with creating vehicles and technologies for joint military/civilian use. "If we can find a way to save on that, its highly needed."

The MP Hybrid is novel in several ways.

It is a lightweight, at around 2100 pounds, with a top speed of around 40 mph.

The Army developed the hybrid chassis, which contains the 18-hp diesel engine, two 10-hp electric engines and three batteries, to support interchangeable body types. The different body types so far include passenger, pick-up, armored or one for remote control vehicles.

Its diesel engine is also removable, acting as a generator, and its mechanics are more accessible and easier to work on than those of existing hybrids.

Fuller said the lightweight MP Hybrid is designed for duty on relatively confined, low-speed areas like military bases, airports, parks or campuses. But an unmanned version could be used for reconnaissance missions on the battlefield, she said.

The hybrid is also cheaper than a Humvee, with a price tag of around $20,000 verses $65,000 for its larger cousin.

The MP Hybrid will now be put out for field tests for further evaluation by the Army.

The vehicle was developed jointly by the Army's National Automotive Center and the speciality design company California Motors.

If it gets the go ahead for production, it will be made by California-based Quantum Fuel System Technologies Worldwide (Research), a manufacturer of hybrid vehicle technology.

The National Automotive Center has helped develop other technology since adopted by the civilian sector including collision protection systems, advanced navigation systems and anti-lock brakes.  Top of page

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