General Motors Is Building a Military Vehicle Based on the Hummer EV

General Motors will produce a military prototype vehicle based on the new Hummer EV in 2022, a report from CNBC reveals.

The Hummer-based "electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle" or eLRV, will use modified components of the Hummer EV, including its frame, batteries, and the automaker's recently revealed "Ultium" motors, which will give the electric vehicle 1,000 horsepower.

The Hummer EV, which was revealed in October last year, will use three of those "Ultium" motors, providing about 11,500 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle will have a range of 350 miles (563 km) on a full charge.

The new eLRV will be designed with the military in mind, meaning it will likely look quite different from the commercial Hummer EV. GM has experience in converting electric vehicles to military specifications. The company is also producing an Infantry Squad Vehicle for the U.S. Army, based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Just last week, GM-owned Chevrolet also unveiled a concept for a desert-running truck called 'Beast', that looks like it's based on that military jeep.

Reducing the U.S. Military's impact on the environment

The announcement of the eLRV comes the same week that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks went to GM's HQ to talk about their plans for electrification, amid the Biden administration's fast-tracking of policies and procedures to combat climate change. During that visit, Hicks also talked about the potential for remote recharging stations being set up for electric vehicles near mission zones in the future.

In 2019, a study from Brown University showed that the U.S. military is the world's largest institutional polluter and that it produces more greenhouse gases than 140 countries. A Hummer-based eLRV would be a good start, but there is still a long way to go. The U.S. Air Force has also backed several synthetic fuel projects, in a bid to help it reduce its sizable impact on the environment. 

According to CNBC, the eLRV program isn't formalized yet, as the U.S. Army is looking at a few potential candidates to develop more sustainable alternatives to its current fleet of reconnaissance vehicles. Still, Rick Kewley, GM Defense vice president of product development and advanced engineering, stated on Monday that he expects production of the new Hummer-based eLRV prototype to begin next year.