General Motors’ defense unit said Tuesday it has been selected by the U.S. Army to provide a battery-powered electric vehicle for “analysis and demonstration.”
GM Defense said it will leverage the GMC Hummer EV to meet the Army’s requirement of a “light to heavy duty battery electric vehicle to support reduced reliance on fossil fuels both in the operational and garrison environments.”
The 1,000-hp Hummer EV uses the Ultium platform and can obtain enough charge in 12 minutes to travel up to 100 miles. The vehicle has 329 miles of driving range and can go from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds, GM Defense said.
GM spokesperson Sonia Taylor wrote in an email to Automotive News that the military would purchase one Hummer. She said GM Defense is fully aligned with GM’s goal to be fully electric by 2035 and is well positioned to aid the Army’s transition to EVs.
“With an ability to leverage GM’s portfolio of commercial battery electric technology and $35 billion investments in electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle technology, we believe we are an ideal partner to help our defense and government customers transition to a more electric, autonomous and connected future,” Taylor wrote.
“The potential testing is set to look at, but is not limited to, range, recharge time, distance over various military mission profiles [terrain], pseudo-silent watch understanding, battery management, and exportable power,” Steve Herrick, product director, Ground Mobility Vehicles, U.S. Army Program Executive Office Combat Support & Combat Service Support wrote in an email to Automotive News. “Starting this fall, the Army will begin testing to understanding current commercial offerings and their commercial performance against a military duty cycle and profile.”
Hani Joudi 
