General Motors’ military defense unit, which appropriately called GM Defense, is tasked with developing several projects for the U.S. military. Its latest creation is the Chevrolet Silverado ZH2—a wild-looking Silverado that runs on hydrogen and boasts several military-only goodies.
According to Automotive News, the Silverado ZH2 features a driving range of more than 400 miles and an intricate, dynamic suspension system. It’s unclear from the information if that suspension is the same DSSV Multimatic suspension that also is featured on the Colorado ZR2 off-road truck, but it is definitely not beyond the realm of possibility.
The ZH2 moniker has been used before, most recently in a GM Defense-developed and also hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Colorado. However, the Silverado ZH2 features even more modern technology and an advanced lithium-ion battery.
The design of the truck is clearly inspired by the all-new, 2019 Silverado, and it appears to be on a heavier-duty platform. This makes sense as we are currently expecting a new 2500 and 3500 Silverado HD sometime in 2019.
Automotive News reached out to GM about the Silverado ZH2 and received the typical no-comment line, simply writing it off as another “vehicle concept.” It is believed that GM is working on these hydrogen-powered vehicles for defense work while they refine the hydrogen power plant for use in other GM vehicles, even on the consumer side.
It would make sense to use the military development angle to work on the hydrogen drivetrain. Military contracts could help offset the cost of development while also providing the military with modern vehicles that meet the rigorous demands that are required. While it’s unclear if these concepts will see actual production, it appears that the boys and girls at GM Defense are making headway.