The Army announced plans today for a “Green Warrior Convoy” to demonstrate and educate the value of science and technology in Army vehicles.
Katherine Hammack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, made the announcement during the opening of the Army’s new Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory, or GSPEL, at the Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Mich.
Hammack said that one year from today the Army will launch a “Green Warrior Convoy” of vehicles from Detroit to Washington as part of the road testing of technologies and systems developed at the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, or TARDEC.
This convoy of technologies will stop at schools and communities along the way to demonstrate and educate the value of science and technology in vehicles. From fuel cells to hybrid systems, battery technologies to alternative fuels, the Army will highlight its advanced vehicle power and technology developments through the convoy.
The Green Warrior Convoy vehicles complement the Army Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, Asset Vehicle. The STEM Asset Vehicle, launched in January, like this convoy of technologies, is designed to publicize STEM careers and demonstrate how civilian scientists and engineers help to ensure America’s national security along with uniformed Soldiers.
The convoy’s literal route, from Warren to Washington, and the complement of vehicles within the convoy will be announced at a later date.
The GSPEL is a comprehensive addition to TARDEC’s series of laboratories. The eight-in-one facility offers numerous testing capabilities and an unmatched combination of resources in a single lab.
The centerpiece, the Power and Energy Vehicle Environmental Lab, or PEVEL, features one of the world’s largest environmental chambers. The lab’s dynamometer and environmental chamber combination allows full mission profile testing of every ground vehicle platform in the military inventory in any environmental condition. The PEVEL enables testing at temperatures from minus 60°F to 160°F, in relative humidity levels from 0 to 95 percent and with winds up to 60 mph.
The GSPEL offers shared access to industry and academia to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas to develop emerging energy technologies and validate ground vehicle systems, research that could also help the Nation achieve energy security goals.
For more information contact the Media Relations Division, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, at 703.697.5344.
