GM is gambling the military will want to buy its technology to use on military vehicles. That's why the automaker started GM Defense.
DETROIT — Since 2006, improvised explosive devices have killed more than 1,000 U.S. troops in Iraq as small groups of U.S. soldiers routinely travel in convoys on bomb-ridden roads, according to Congressional Research Service data.
It is also poised to add hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to GM's coffers if it wins a U.S. Army contract for which it's a finalist.“There are a range of things across our portfolio beyond just making vehicles that we’re looking to introduce to the military," said Albritton."That’s part of what I’ve been focusing on — to introduce those capabilities to the Department of Defense or other government agencies.
Neither Ford Motor Co. or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has a similar business arm dedicated to the military. Both do general business with the government, including the military. As a finalist, GM Defense won $1 million. The Army asked the finalists to create two more prototypes that it is currently testing. It is expected to name a winner in March, said Albritton.
“But in the interim, having a hybridized solution of diesel and electric is definitely very feasible and a solution we’re already working on with the Chevy Bolt, but in a militarized sense," said Albritton. Finally, hydrogen and oxygen could be used on an unmanned platform under the sea, said Albritton. That would allow the Navy's submarines to stay under the surface significantly longer than traditional diesel-hybrid vessels.
If GM does not win the Infantry Squad Vehicle contract, Albritton said it will be disappointing, but he will press on.
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