General Motors (GM) through its subsidiary GM Defense, will build a prototype battery pack for testing and analysis by the United States Department of Defense. The agency’s Defense Innovation Unit is seeking scalable designs that could be used in versions of electric tactical military vehicles.
The battery pack will be based on GM’s Ultium platform, which is used to power its own electric vehicles.
With the type of battery cells it uses Ultium is called a modular and scalable system that can be adapted to different needs, so it may be suitable for military needs.
GM says the military wants light, to heavy-duty electric vehicles for use in garrison and operational environments to reduce fossil fuel use. As a result, it must reduce the military’s carbon emissions.
Meanwhile, this is not the first collaboration between GM Defense and the military. in July, the company secured a deal with the US Army to provide electric hummers for testing.
Last year, GM Defense president Steve DuMont said the company would build a prototype electric military vehicle based on the Hummer EV.
