Hi! Your intrepid blogger (and part-time Navy reservist) is on location in Virginia. He has located what may be the antidote for those of you sick to death of self-righteous Prius pansies.
Behold: A real man's hybrid - The TerraMax.
cnet.com descibes the inner workings of this diesel electric hunk of awesomness:
While the truck is technically a hybrid, Oshkosh calls the drive system ProPulse. But the use of electric motors to drive the wheels means the electricity could come from any adequate source. The system uses less fuel than a straight diesel drivetrain because the diesel engine can run at a constant speed, and it doesn't need a transmission or drive shafts. And with its electricity-generation capabilities, it can provide enough electricity when stationary to power a city block.The HEMTT A3 also uses regenerative braking.
Even better, you'll be there to bail out your Government Motors Volt and plug-in-Prius buddies when they need a few extra KW to pick up their kids from yoga.
Nuthin' wrong with bein' neighborly.
It gets better. Oshkosh has been experimenting with a driverless version. Heh.
TerraMax is an autonomous tactical cargo hauler fielded by Oshkosh Truck Corporation, University of Parma's Artificial Vision and Intelligent Systems Laboratory and Rockwell Collins, also known under the name of Big Truck Robotics, that participated in both the 2004 and 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. To navigate the terrain, the vehicle utilized three LIDAR laser-ranging units (one of which featured four planes), three cameras, and two GPS navigation systems.
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