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GM Fuel Cells Make a Splash with Navy Drones

General Motors Co. has won a contract with the U.S. Navy to supply fuel cell power systems for underwater drones.

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General Motors Co. has won a contract with the U.S. Navy to supply fuel cell power systems for underwater drones.

The Navy, which touts the reliability, high-energy capability and cost effectiveness of hydrogen fuel cells, is targeting a 60-day operating cycle for the sea modules. It recently completed testing of a prototype unmanned system equipped with a GM fuel cell stack at its facility in Carderock, Md.

GM has been working with the Navy on underwater drones since 2010. It also is developing a fuel cell system for the U.S. Army for use in a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck modified for extreme military applications.

The carmaker hopes to launch its own fuel cell-powered vehicle by about 2020. It is partnering with Honda Motor Co. on next-generation stacks that it says are significantly lighter, smaller and less expensive than current systems.

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