GM Working on Electric and Autonomous Vehicle Tech for Military
Photo: General Motors
General Motors is developing a variety of commercial technologies that could end up benefiting the U.S. military — and saving soldiers’ lives.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the automaker’s subsidiary, GM Defense, is one of the finalists for a U.S. Army contract that’s potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Winning the contract — which is for a lightweight diesel infantry vehicle based on the Chevy Colorado ZR2 truck — would clear the way for GM to adapt its autonomous and electric driving systems for a range of military applications.
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One of these technologies could significantly improve safety for soldiers. Known as leader-follower, it allows a manned vehicle to lead several unmanned, autonomous vehicles on convoy routes. Switching to leader-follower convoys would put fewer soldiers in harm’s way. Right now, all convoy vehicles need to be manned, making them targets for deadly improvised explosive devices. In Iraq, over 1,000 U.S. troops have been killed in IED blasts since 2006.
GM Defense is also working on ways to electrify vehicles for the battlefield and other military situations. This would likely begin with diesel-electric hybrid technology based on the Chevy Bolt. It could proceed to full electrification as lithium-ion battery range, charging infrastructure, and charge times improve. Electric or hydrogen fuel cell military vehicles would offer many advantages, including more stealth, less detectable heat, and lighter platforms.
GM Defense is also working on hydrogen fuel cell technology to power unmanned submarines. Subs equipped with hydrogen fuel cell power would be able to stay underwater for several weeks at a time, much longer than diesel-hybrid ones. They’d also be cheaper than nuclear submarines.
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