Monday, April 6, 2009

Israel developing hybrid electric Hummer

Israel Military Industries (IMI), the Ramat Hasharon, Israel-based defense company, is developing an electric version of the Hummer all-terrain vehicle.

According to Globes, this is a project of IMI's Slavin Land Systems Division, which also develops and upgrades armored vehicles and tanks.

The Israeli electric Hummer will use a powerful battery-operated electric motor combined with a diesel engine, which functions as a generator and recharger for the batteries when necessary. The combination extends the effective operating range of the Hummer from a few dozen kilometers on electric power to more than 450 kilometers, with a single tank of diesel fuel.

The electric Hummer is especially effective for military missions that require silence. The vehicle is also low-maintenance, has high survivability, clean emissions, and high performance. It is supposed to reach speeds of over 120 km/h and has rapid acceleration. Use of a generator for self-recharging is aimed at providing independent mobility without the need for a special recharging infrastructure.

IMI believes that the electric Hummer project has the potential for upgrading 200,000 military Hummers that are nearing the end of their operational lives worldwide.

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