General Motors Defense has revealed the all-new Electric Military Concept Vehicle (EMCV) which is effectively a stripped-down electric GMC Hummer EV with several modifications for use by the military, according to The Drive.
The electric vehicle looks similar to the Chevy Colorado ZR2-based, gasoline-powered infantry squad vehicle (ISV) revealed in 2020, but it’s quite a different beast – larger, presumably heavier, and more importantly, silent.
Underneath all the military green paint there’s the same chassis and EV propulsion system as in the Hummer EV, so three electric motors capable of providing a combined output of 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque, as well as a massive, 212-kilowatt-hour (205 kWh usable) double-stacked Ultium battery pack.
Breaking Defense quotes a GM Defense spokesperson who said that the electric troop carrier can travel up to 300 miles on a full charge and that it’s outfitted with a 12-kW diesel-powered generator for limited charging.
Inside, there are none of the niceties found on the passenger version of the GMC Hummer EV pickup: a tubular roll cage protects the driver and five passengers in the case of a rollover and there are seatbelts, but that’s about it in terms of comfort.
Fox performance shocks take the place of the standard air suspension system, the braking system got a heavy-duty upgrade, and the approach and departure angles have been improved for enhanced mobility off-road. It also rides on 37-inch tires and features a 46-inch gun ring, as well as a swing side-arm mount.
With this being said, the Hummer EV-based EMCV is exactly what its name implies: a concept vehicle that was built for the Army’s Electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV) program.
“We’re trying to showcase what is in the realm of the possible just so we can get the discussion going and help shape their future requirements,” a company spokeswoman told Breaking Defense. “They get to see the different sizes and how to customize it, the different options.”
The militarized Hummer EV has been in the works for almost two years, but details about it have been close to nonexistent until now.
It’s highly unlikely that the EMCV will make its way into the civilian market as the original Humvee did in the early 1990s thanks in part to none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, as there is already the GMC Hummer EV that’s on sale for retail customers. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to see how the EV tech developed for civilian use will perform in the Army.
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