The Tawazun Council, a UAE government entity, and GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the development of advanced mobility and power solutions for military and government customers. This is GM Defense’s first partnership in the Middle East, and it aims to expand the company’s presence in the region.
The MOU will cover collaborative R&D, regional production and assembly, and post-production support, with a focus on integrated vehicles, power and propulsion, autonomy and connectivity. GM Defense intends to leverage its parent company’s expertise in battery electric technology in order to bring innovation to global defence and government customers.
“Our collaboration with Tawazun Council is an important step in expanding our reach to defense and government customers in the Middle East,” said Steve duMont, GM Defense president.
This collaboration, according to GM Defense, is a significant step towards transitioning its global clients to a more electric, autonomous, and connected future.
The Tawazun Council, which promotes innovation and undertakes research and development in the defence industries, is well-positioned to assist GM Defense’s entry into the Middle Eastern market. The capabilities of the Council in operations, manufacturing, and research can assist GM Defense in delivering world-class technology to military and government customers.
As part of the MOU, the businesses will create cars with cutting-edge features like fuel cells, power generation, and connectivity to benefit military and government clients with greater efficiency and freedom.
Notably, the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has entrusted GM Defense with creating the Ultium platform for military vehicles. The Ultium platform from General Motors combines propulsion technologies and an electric car battery architecture. The platform is adaptable to new and emerging technologies due to its modular and scalable design, which enables the use of different chemistries and cell form factors.
