Hot on the heels of the announcement the U.S. Army selected startup company Canoo for the supply of an electric vehicle to be used for evaluation purposes, we have news GM Defense will also supply the Army with a vehicle powered solely by electricity.
GM Defense, General Motors' division responsible for military products, said on Wednesday it will supply the GMC Hummer EV in response to the Army's request for a light to heavy duty EV that can be used in operational and garrison environments.
The request is part of the Army's strategy to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. The Army is also evaluating vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, with GM Defense having previously supplied a Chevrolet Colorado concept vehicle equipped with a fuel cell.
Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle
Hummer as a brand was originally established in 1992 to offer a civilian version of the Humvee originally developed for the military by AM General, but this time it's the other way around, with a vehicle originally developed for civilian use being supplied to the military.
GM Defense hasn't said whether it will supply a standard Hummer EV, or one specially built for military applications, as was the case with the fuel-cell-equipped Colorado concept.
The standard Hummer EV certainly provides all the performance necessary for a military vehicle, assuming charging infrastructure is available. The top-of-the-range model delivers 1,000 hp, a 0-60 mph time of three seconds, and a battery good for 329 miles of range and high-speed charging at up to 350 kilowatts. The high kw rating means 100 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes of charging.
