WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Defense Department wants a new Humvee because, among other things, the current models consume too much fuel, reports The Boston Globe. Though it replaced the World War II-era Jeep, with higher performance and load capacity, today’s military Hummer gets as few as four miles per gallon in city driving and eight miles per gallon on the highway. The Pentagon wants a Humvee replacement that weighs 30 to 40 percent less — some armored Humvees weigh 5 tons — and uses proportionately less fuel. A redesigned Humvee is part of the Defense Department’s push to save energy costs through alternative fuels, conservation, and more efficient vehicles, aircraft, ships, and submarines.

John Young, director of the department’s defense research and engineering, said in a Congressional hearing last week, “We’re looking at a design with lighter materials — titanium and carbon composites — while still having armor protection.”