The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a Department of Defense organization that accelerates the adoption of commercial technology across the US military, was looking for advanced battery technology that can be used for various tactical military vehicles. The requirement? It should be scalable, for obvious reasons.
General Motors just has that in the form of the Ultium platform. As such, DIU has selected GM Defense, the American automaker's subsidiary that focuses on products for military use, to develop a battery pack prototype for testing and analysis on Department of Defense platforms.
Gallery: 2022 GMC Hummer EV: First Drive
The Ultium platform is GM's most advanced battery technology. Specifically, it is a combined electric vehicle battery architecture and propulsion system that can deliver power and range beyond any previous GM hybrid or extended-range EV technology. More importantly, it's modular and scalable, using different chemistries and cell form factors. It's also adaptable to ever-changing updates in technologies as they become available.
Several GM consumer vehicles have already been using the Ultium platform, such as the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyric, as well as the newly introduced Chevy Blazer EV and the first-ever Equinox EV. This gives GM the leverage the experience gained in the commercial application of its Ultium platform – and apply and/or develop it further for military use.
"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," said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense.
If you can recall, the United States Army has already selected GM Defense to supply the military with a GMC Hummer EV back in July. It was for analysis and demonstration, with the military organization evaluating the electric model as part of its requirement to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. This recent DIU selection is connected to that.
