Tata Daewoo to turn Gixen electric truck into mobile power base for military, overseas markets

Electric trucks are moving beyond hauling cargo — Tata Daewoo Mobility is developing vehicles that carry electricity itself, turning commercial EVs into mobile power bases capable of supplying energy to military operation zones, disaster sites and construction sites.

Tata Daewoo Mobility announced Wednesday that it signed an MOU with Ionus, a mobile energy storage system specialist, to jointly develop and commercialize mobile ESS vehicles.

The two companies will combine Tata Daewoo's commercial vehicle chassis and special-purpose vehicle design technology with Ionus's battery and power-control technology. The first development target is a military mobile ESS.

The companies plan to build a prototype based on Tata Daewoo's 2.5-ton electric truck, the Gixen, equipped with a four-wheel-drive system and a 220-kilowatt-hour ESS. The vehicle will be designed to supply power while moving across both paved roads and rough terrain, with field validation for military use and defense-sector supply to follow.

Mobile ESS vehicles carry large-capacity batteries and can drive directly to wherever power is needed. They can serve as temporary power sources not only in military operation zones where fixed grid infrastructure is difficult to establish quickly, but also at construction and industrial sites and in disaster-affected areas.

Technology developed for the military variant will be extended to civilian applications. The two companies plan to develop civilian mobile ESS units based on 2.5-ton and 5-ton commercial vehicles, broadening their use to industrial sites and disaster response.

The first result was already on display. Starting Tuesday, the two companies showcased the jointly developed mobile ESS vehicle for the first time at the Ionus exhibition booth at EV Trend Korea 2026, held at COEX in Seoul.

The Gixen is equipped with a 152-kilowatt-hour battery and an electric drivetrain producing a maximum output of 150 kilowatts and peak torque of 468 newton-meters. Its range on a single charge is about 250 kilometers, and fast charging from 20 percent to 80 percent battery capacity takes approximately 59 minutes.

The Gixen was originally developed with diverse special-purpose vehicle applications in mind, which also works in its favor for mobile ESS conversion. High-voltage, high-capacity special-purpose ports allow it to be adapted into various configurations, including electric road-sweeping trucks and recycling collection vehicles.

The partnership also targets overseas markets. Tata Daewoo and Ionus are exploring export opportunities for mobile ESS in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa — regions with relatively high demand for power infrastructure — and plan to develop concrete business models in coordination with Tata Daewoo's export organization.

"The future commercial vehicle market is expanding from a means of transporting people and cargo to a platform for supplying energy wherever it is needed," said Tata Daewoo Mobility President Kim Tae-sung. "Tata Daewoo Mobility will continue to leverage its strengths in commercial and special-purpose vehicle platforms to deliver differentiated solutions that lead the future mobility market."

Ionus Chief Executive Heo Eun said the partnership with Tata Daewoo "will mark a significant milestone in making mobile ESS mainstream." She added that the company aims to "build meaningful business cases together, using successful references in the domestic defense market as a springboard to reach global markets where power infrastructure remains scarce."