A GM Defense rendering of its efficient energy storage unit. (Image: GM Defense)
WASHINGTON—GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, was selected recently by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to prototype an energy storage unit. GM Defense’s energy storage system will meet the requirements of DIU’s Stable Tactical Expeditionary Electric Power (STEEP) program, the company said in a release.
The Stable Tactical Expeditionary Electric Power program seeks to support tactical microgrid and energy management capabilities in austere locations, reducing logistical requirements and the reliance on fossil fuels as the primary energy source across the DoD, according to the release.
GM Defense delivers integrated vehicles, power and propulsion, and mobility and autonomy solutions to global defense, security and government markets. The company said it will leverage GM’s advanced electric vehicle propulsion architecture, the Ultium Platform, to deliver a scalable and adaptable energy storage unit that supports the tactical energy requirements of the warfighter. The prototype is expected to provide uninterruptable and sustainable power for mission critical equipment, such as command and control, communications, radar, and weapons systems in remote areas or where a stable power grid is absent.
GM Defense’s STEEP energy storage system will provide intelligent tactical microgrid capabilities that work with hydrogen-powered generators, stationary and mobile battery electric power, or existing fuel-powered generators to support efficient power management and distribution, the company said.
“This contract award demonstrates our ability to leverage advanced commercial technologies and investments from our parent company, GM, to reduce warfighter fuel consumption, and lower acoustic and thermal signatures, while providing efficient energy at the tactical edge,” said GM Defense President Steve duMont, in a statement. “We are proud to win another contract award with DIU, whose mission to accelerate the adoption of commercial technology across the U.S. military aligns with our efforts to transition global defense and government customers to a more electric, autonomous, and connected future.”
GM Defense won its first contract award from DIU in the fall of 2022 to provide a prototyping battery system based on GM’s Ultium Platform in support of the Jumpstart for Advanced Battery Standardization (JABS) project. Since winning the JABS award, GM Defense has expanded its work under the contract to include the integration of the high-voltage battery pack into the business’s Multi-Mission and Logistics vehicle. The JABS project is designed to help standardize battery modules across the DoD and pave the way for future battery advancements to be integrated and adopted within military platforms, the company said.
GM Defense said it will build upon the additional test phases in the JABS program and the start of STEEP as the business continues to invest in battery electric capabilities in support of DIU programs. If successful, STEEP will transition to a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) program and will serve as GM Defense’s first program with the USMC since relaunching the business in 2017.