SAE 2009: Arnold Schwarzenegger goes shopping for his next HUMMER

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't kidding when he said that there's nothing wrong with HUMMERs. Soon after finishing his opening session talk at the SAE World Congress this morning, the Governator took a stroll through the expo floor and spent some time at the U.S. military's booth. The display area showcased a few vehicles, but Arnold was most interested in a green hybrid HUMMER, the XM1124 He High Mobility Multupurpose Wheeled Vehicle (aka the HMMWV) and the Reconnaissance Surveillance and Targeting Vehicle (RST-V) Demonstrator (above). Is it just me, or are the people who come up with these names the same ones who named all the G.I. Joe action playsets back in the '80s?

In any case, the HMMWV uses a diesel series hybrid powertrain with li-ion batteries to go up to 20 mph for up to six miles. It can also supply 15 kW of power to a range of military tools in the field (at least, it can do this in testing). The RST-V also has a hybrid powertrain can output 20 kW of power and can operate on diesel power only, battery power only or in hybrid mode.