GM Defense Is Making a Prototype Military Version of the Hummer EV


Mack Hogan
Thu, November 11, 2021

Photo credit: Steve Fecht/GM Defense

GM Defense is looking to sell the U.S. military on electric vehicles, with CNBC reporting that the business unit is creating a prototype for U.S. forces based on the upcoming GMC Hummer EV.

The prototype, dubbed the electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV), could develop into the first all-electric passenger-carrying land vehicle in the U.S.'s military fleet. That'd be a huge step forward for an organization that is—as The Verge noted—the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases, according to a 2019 study from Brown University.

Photo credit: GM

The Pentagon said earlier this week that electric vehicles for the military will be part of President Joe Biden's overarching climate agenda, so GM's moves are no coincidence. The automaker already has spent billions on EV research and development, developed a suite of proprietary Ultium batteries, and started work on multiple large EV trucks designed to be worked hard.


Still, expect substantial differences between the consumer-focused Hummer EV and the eLRV that GM Defense will pitch to the Department of Defense. GM plans to use and modify components from the Hummer, including its frame and batteries. But the equipment and design will likely be quite different, as was the case with the Colorado ZR2-based Infantry Squad Vehicle that GM started delivering to the U.S. Army last year.