Banks Power Develops First Diesel Hybrid Humvee To Be Tested By US Army

The AM General HMMWV, otherwise known as the Humvee, has served the United States military well for roughly 40 years now. The thing is, it's awfully slow and not all that fuel-efficient. Reliability and capability matter most in this application, but the 6.5-liter Detroit diesel engine has undeniably grown tired. That's why the hot-rodders at Banks Power in Southern California have developed the first electrified diesel Humvee powertrain for testing by the U.S. Army.

Banks did this work under contract for the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), taking a stock Humvee and retrofitting it with the new hybrid drive system. The goal is to offer quicker acceleration, which is still important in tactical applications, as well as improved range on a tank of fuel. The well-known speed shop believes it has achieved this in an interesting way.

By designing, manufacturing, and dyno testing in-house, Banks was able to combine an 800-volt battery and an electric motor generator unit with what it's calling a D630TH diesel engine. The "D" stands for defense, while "6" refers to the number of cylinders, "3" represents the 3.0-liter displacement, "T" is short for turbo, and "H" is for hybrid. You can see that it's arranged in a V configuration.