GM Defense Will Provide Ultium Batteries Similar to the Ones Powering the 2022 GMC HUMMER to the Defense Department

The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit wants to study the Ultium batteries to see if they will be useful for the military. The military sees EVs as beneficial especially for military operations in remote areas.

The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit has selected GM Defense to develop a battery pack prototype for military testing. GM Defense says that it will be providing technology that is derived from GM’s Ultium Platform which is GM’s most advanced battery technology. The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV pickup is powered by Ultium, as is the Cadillac LYRIQ. The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV and the other future GM EVs will all be powered by different sized Ultium batteries.

Ultium Platform Could Power Different Types of Military Vehicles

The Defense Department wants a scalable design like the Ultium Platform, which means that could be made in different sizes, to power different sizes of tactical vehicles. The Defense Department set up the DIU to accelerates the adoption of commercial technology across the U.S. military. GM set up its GM Defense subsidiary to market its advanced technologies for global defense and government customers.

“This award is a critical enabler for non-traditional defense businesses like GM Defense to deliver commercial technologies that support our customers’ transition to a more electric, autonomous and connected future,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “Commercial battery electric technologies continue to mature. GM Defense offers a unique advantage with our ability to leverage proven commercial capabilities and the billions in GM investments in electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle technologies in order to help provide our customers with the most advanced capabilities the commercial market can offer.”

GM’s Ultium Platform is an electric vehicle (EV) battery powertrain that can deliver power, range, and scale beyond any previous GM battery technology. GM is also exploring using the Ultium Platform to power boats, trains and planes.

Defense Department Already Studying the GMC HUMMER EV

In July, GM Defense announced that the U.S. Army selected a GMC HUMMER EV. The Defense Department is analyzing how well the HUMMER EV could help the military reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. A chief concern is safety for the soldiers. Fuel supply vehicles are heavy, loud and easier for the enemy to spot in remote areas like deserts. The tankers are also huge targets for the enemy forces. The military is hoping to fund lighter vehicles that could be more agile in enemy territory.

GM Defense is already providing a military supertruck to the Department of Defense based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. The Infantry Squad Vehicle can be used a troop carrier and is small enough to fit inside a Chinook helicopter and be transported to remote locations.

GMC Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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