All-Electric Humvee prototype to be revealed in 2022 – Report

Update: ‘Off-road features’ section added.

According to a CNBC report, General Motors will produce a military prototype Humvee EV based on the consumer GMC Hummer EV in 2022.

The Hummer-based electric light reconnaissance vehicle, or eLRV, for potential use by the military is the next step in commercializing the carmaker’s EV business, said GM Defense President Steve duMont. Company officials confirmed that the Hummer EV’s platform (frame, motors, and the Ultium batteries) would be used towards the prototype Humvee EV. However, it may not look anything like the consumer Hummer EV which has just entered pre-production at Factory Zero, Detroit.

2022-GMC-HUMMER-EV-TRUCK
Customer deliveries of the GMC Hummer EV are scheduled from 2022, and the military Humvee EV could roll off the assembly line from mid-decade. Image – GMC

On Nov 8, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks visited GM’s technical centre in Warren, Michigan, to hear about GM Defense’s R&D of EVs for the defence industry. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has mentioned that new policies to support climate change is a top priority for the Biden administration, with Hicks having commented that they are “very sold” on the idea of EVs.

The charging of these vehicles would take place using mobile units with generators, running on some form of an internal combustion engine, though. “Electrifying the non-tactical fleet, that’s a no-brainer”, Hicks told CNBC, indicating that the eLRV project would see the light of day.

Source: Youtube/GMC

Next up, GM would assemble Humvee EV (eLRV prototypes) based on the Hummer EV for testing and evaluation by the military. The military would release detailed specifications for such a project and invite bids from various companies. The military would then select two companies to manufacture the vehicles, likely to happen by mid-decade.

GM Defense’s first major military contract was awarded last year for new ISVs (Infantry Squad Vehicles) for the Army. The 214 million USD contract was for internal combustion-engined vehicles (based on the Chevy Colorado ZR2). However, GM also built a one-off concept with all-electric propulsion using parts from the Chevrolet Bolt.

GM Defense has identified USD 25 billion in potential business, CNBC states. The Humvee EV should be an integral part of its future and a gamechanger compared to the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, which came to be known as Humvee) introduced in 1984. The civilian Hummer H1 followed in 1992. However, in this case, the civilian Hummer EV will lay the foundation for the military vehicle.

Off-road features

The Humvee EV could get the existing set of off-road features from the Hummer EV Pickup. The features might include the state-of-the-art 4-wheel-steering with CrabWalk, enabling greater manoeuvrability in tight spaces. CrabWalk makes the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction for diagonal movement. Coupled with the 830 hp producing electric motors, the system will help the EVs get around America’s military bases briskly.

Additionally, the military vehicle might also get the Extract Mode which raises the suspension to its highest setting, increasing the ride height significantly to get past enormous obstacles. The Hummer EV Pickup gets a ground clearance of 404 mm (15.9 inches) and suspension travel of 330 mm (13 inches) in the Extract Mode. It also has an impressive approach (49.7 deg), departure (38.4 deg) and break over (32.2 deg) angles, making it suitable for challenging terrain like the desert.

Also useful for military purposes will be GMC’s Off-Road Package for the Hummer EV Pickup. The package adds ‘UltraVision’ with 17 camera views, including an underbody view. It also adds 35-inch OD Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tyres, underbody armour and rock sliders, front eLocker and rear virtual lockers and heavy-duty ball-spline half-shafts. The Humvee EV could have military-grade body armour to withstand bullets and blasts.