GM plans to build military vehicle based on Hummer EV next year: Report
General Motors (GM) has plans to build a military prototype vehicle based on the Hummer electric vehicle next year, CNBC reported. The electric light reconnaissance vehicle (eLRV) will not look like Hummer EV but will use some aspects of the electric vehicle in the military prototype.
General Motors' defence arm will use and modify components of the Hummer EV such as its frame, motors and the company's proprietary ‘Ultium’ batteries for the eLRV. The vehicle will be designed to military specifications and won’t likely look like the consumer vehicle.
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The company plans to commence assembling the eLRV prototypes based on the Hummer for testing and military evaluation next year, GM Defense's vice president of product development and advanced engineering, Rick Kewley, told CNBC. However, the project is still in infancy stage and there is no surety on its mass development yet.
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Earlier this year, the US military had requested for information from companies about an EV prototype built to military specifications, the report mentioned. Ten companies including General Motors brought electric vehicles for the army to test their off-road capability and define their goals.
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The military then released detailed specifications for such a vehicle for the ten companies to produce prototypes. However, the military might not take a decision about the program and about which two companies will ultimately manufacture the vehicle until mid-decade. The decision will come only after they explore the prototypes and figure out with EV could assist them in their operations.
GM's quest to win the military vehicle contract comes after the company last year won its first such contract worth $214.3 million to build the US Army’s new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). The ISV is based on the 2020 Chevy Colorado ZR2 with extensive modifications. While the military ISV sources power from a 2.8-liter turbodiesel, GM earlier this year also produced an all-electric concept ISV.
