GM Defense is collaborating with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Pulsed Power and Energy Laboratory (PPEL) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) to advance electric vehicle battery technology for military applications. This initiative, titled “Evaluation of Electric Vehicle Batteries to Enable Directed Energy” (EEVBEDE), is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) through the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF).
The project’s primary goal is to evaluate the capabilities of commercial automotive batteries under dynamic discharge and charge conditions. UTA PPEL will assess the technology to identify pathways for using domestically supplied energy storage in future military platforms.
For this evaluation, GM Defense is leveraging General Motors’ Ultium Platform propulsion architecture. The Ultium Platform is known for its versatility, power, range, and scalability, surpassing previous GM hybrid and extended-range electric vehicle technologies. It can accommodate various chemistries and cell form factors, making it adaptable to evolving technological needs. By utilizing GM’s battery technologies, GM Defense aims to address the DoD’s energy and energy storage challenges, providing valuable insights into the performance and design considerations for batteries in high-power, dynamic operations.
The OECIF’s support is crucial for developing new power and energy technologies, ensuring the DoD has advanced capabilities and that energy limitations do not hinder military operations.
Previously, GM Defense participated in the Defense Innovation Unit’s Jumpstart for Advanced Battery Standardization (JABS) project, which is similar in scope to EEVBEDE. The JABS project focuses on evaluating and testing high-voltage battery systems to optimize commercial technologies. For this project, GM Defense provided a prototype battery system based on the Ultium Platform and demonstrated mission power capabilities by integrating a high-voltage battery pack into a light tactical utility vehicle. The insights gained from JABS are expected to inform future battery electric defense solutions’ integration requirements.
Overall, these initiatives underscore GM Defense’s commitment to enhancing the DoD’s operational energy capabilities through innovative battery technology solutions.