U.S. Marine Corps Eyes Hybrid Humvee

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http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1821431&C=america

U.S. Marine Corps Eyes Hybrid Humvee

With the price of gasoline averaging nearly $3.00 per gallon in the United States and auto manufacturers introducing fuel-efficient models to their fleet monthly, it seems like everyone’s getting on the energy-conservation band wagon — even the Marines.

The Corps is targeting more energy-efficient ways to power its next-generation Humvee, looking at hybrid/electric technology and fuel cell development to make up for ever-increasing energy costs.

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle — a collaborative effort between the Army and Marine Corps to design and field a modern wheeled utility vehicle to replace the Humvee — is still years away, but today’s shortage of energy supplies is weighing heavily on designers.

“You’ve got to get a vehicle that can get more miles to the gallon,” said Col. Clarke Lethin, chief of the fires and maneuver office at Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., at the May 23 Institute for Defense and Government Advancement-sponsored “Military Armor Defense” conference in Washington, D.C.