The US army is looking to replace the aging AM General Humvee with something a bit more robust and, perhaps a sign of the times, a bit more environmentally-friendly. One front-runner is the Ultra Light Vehicle (ULV) developed by the Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center or TARDEC. Of course, light-weight is a misnomer since it weighs in at 6,312 kilograms. Priced at US$ 250,000 each, the ULV is a diesel-electric hybrid powered by…a Subaru engine!

Designed to be resistant to land lines and roadside bombs, the ULV is a four-wheel drive machine without the typical drive shaft—the weakness of the current Humvee. It’s a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) design too. In order to channel the power to all four wheels, the ULV utilizes a Subaru Boxer diesel with 175 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque for the front wheels and two Remy 410HVH-HT electric motors for the rear wheels good for a peak 180 horsepower.

The ULV can travel at a range of 337 miles (542 kilometers) including 21 miles (34 kilometers) on full electric mode—a perfect stealth weapon! Aside from the impressive range, the ULV can traverse a 60-percent grade and drive across a 40-percent side slope with an 18-inch vertical step.