GM Defense targets battlefield power with X-PEM energy system
A GM Defense X-PEM generator at the General Motors Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan, 30 September 2025. It is connected to a diesel generator behind it. (Steve Fecht for GM Defense)
GM Defense is harnessing parent company General Motors' (GM's) investments in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) to develop new battlefield power systems. The Expeditionary Power and Energy Management (X-PEM) system offers a quiet alternative to diesel generators that could reduce battlefield fuel requirements.
Diesel generators powering command centres and other battlefield systems require fuel that has to be moved into the battlespace, Stephen duMont, president of GM Defense, told reporters during a media event on 1 October at the GM Milford Proving Ground in Michigan. âThen when you use it, it's a noisy diesel generator, which has a high acoustic signature [and] a high thermal signature,â he said.
X-PEM consists of essentially âCadillac Lyriq batteries packaged for a military application. We leverage high volume battery manufacturingâ to reduce costs, duMont said.
Stealthy operations
The system has five modes: âstandalone, microgrid mode, hybrid, silent watch, [and] external controlâ, Ben Davis, senior manager for business creation for electrification, autonomy, and connected services at GM Defense, told journalists during the event.
The microgrid mode ensures continuous power. If the generators at a field hospital fail, for example, X-PEM âwill pick up the power no matter what and it will always ensure that you get powerâ, Davis said.
The software package controls the microgrid, he continued. When it's paired in a parallel mode with different amps generators or products, it controls whether to provide power or take power and distribute it efficiently, Davis said.
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