Skip to main content

Ground Combat Vehicle takes hybrid technology to war

Ground Combat VehicleIs your Chevy Volt bulletproof? The green automotive technology usually associated with tree-hugging hippies is being used in a military application. The Ground Combat Vehicle, being developed by BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, is a hybrid with tracks, armor, and guns.

The Ground Combat Vehicle is built around a powertrain similar to the Volt’s. Two electric motors, good for roughly 700 horsepower each, drive the tracks, charged by a lithium-ion battery pack of unspecified size. Two diesel engines generate electricity for the batteries and electric motors but, just like in the Volt and other “extended-range electric vehicles,” they do not drive the wheels (tracks) directly.

Recommended Videos

Unlike the Volt, the Ground Combat Vehicle cannot be recharged by plugging-in. According to BAE, the vehicle will use its diesel engines to generate power all the time. There aren’t many three-pronged outlets on the battlefield, or many opportunities to stop for recharge.

Mark Signorelli, BAE’s vice president of combat vehicles, told the New York Times that one advantage of the hybrid powertrain is modularity; because the diesel engines are not connected to the tracks, they can be placed almost anywhere on the vehicle. The Ground Combat Vehicle will also have 50 percent fewer parts and will have 10 percent better fuel economy than similar vehicles, BAE said.

The vehicle itself, in concept rendering form, has large, protruding boxes hanging off its sides, which could house batteries or other parts of the hybrid powertrain. Either way, the added bulk should help protect the crew. While it does have a turret, the ambiguously-named Ground Combat Vehicle looks more like an armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle, like the M2 Bradley; the large hull could probably hold a few soldiers in addition to the crew.

The Ground Combat Vehicle will probably be the heaviest hybrid in existence; it is expected to weigh 140,000 pounds fully-equipped. Signorelli said the powertrain is up to the task of moving this behemoth, claiming that it has 30 percent more power than necessary, in case BAE wants to use it drive a heavier vehicle. He noted that electric motors produce a lot of low-end torque for quick getaways.

Signorelli told Defense Tech that the Ground Combat Vehicle’s development was one of the most painful he had ever gone through. Nonetheless, he is confident that hybrids will find their way onto the battlefield, saying that hybrid technology, once a radical idea, is used every day in cars and heavy construction equipment.

The Ground Combat Vehicle is currently under development, but The Department of Defense has not placed any orders yet. The price is expected to be $11 million per vehicle.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more
The week in EV tech: 900 miles, 12 minutes—EV charging just hit warp speed
byd 900 miles 12 minutes seal

Welcome to Digital Trends’ weekly recap of the revolutionary technology powering, connecting, and now driving next-gen electric vehicles. 
If you’re hesitant about electric vehicles (EV), it’s likely that your top concerns include how far you can drive in a single charge, how long it takes to charge the battery, and how much this advanced tech will cost you. And you're not alone.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study, nearly half of U.S. consumers (49%) still say that available battery driving range is their biggest worry about EVs. That’s followed closely by the time required to charge (46%) and the lingering cost premium (44%) associated with battery electric vehicles.
But that narrative may finally be flipping. Just this past week, two developments showcase how much EV technology has evolved over the past decade: China’s BYD is breaking new grounds on just how far you can drive an EV on a single 12-minute charge. Meanwhile, the Nissan Leaf, seen as the first mass-market EV in 2010, is getting an impressive upgrade even as it remains one of the most affordable options on the market.

BYD’s bold battery bet
Chinese auto giant BYD, already the world’s top-selling EV manufacturer, may have just redrawn the limits of battery performance. According to Chinese media, and other reports, the company is testing a new solid-state battery that can add 900 miles of range in just 12 minutes of charging.
Let that sink in. That’s nearly four times the range of many current EVs—enough to drive from New York to Chicago —and charging that’s as fast as a coffee stop.

Read more