Posted on Aug 17, 2021
Why doesn't the United States Military consider adding electric or hybrid vehicles to their fleet of installation vehicles?
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As I understand it, long distance driving and infrastructure are a barrier to many civilian consumers, but on-installation vehicles don't travel outside of their immediate vicinity and electric charging stations could be built in the motor pools.
Vehicle
Military Industry
Technology
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
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it would be nice. but is it feasible
America and the world have an issue
there is NOT enough rare earth metals currently in the world to support the amount of electric cars, phones, computers, tablets etc.... everyone is predicting something like 85% of what we do have comes from china so the more electric we have the more we support china
afghanistan is sitting on rare earth metals and guess who the taliban was seen with ... china
then how do you charge them all California has already told citizens to stop charging cars so their rolling blackouts can be reduced texas exposed the flaws with solar and wind not being reliable
until such time as there is a major breakthrough in batteries this will never change
I like the idea i do not like supporting china
America and the world have an issue
there is NOT enough rare earth metals currently in the world to support the amount of electric cars, phones, computers, tablets etc.... everyone is predicting something like 85% of what we do have comes from china so the more electric we have the more we support china
afghanistan is sitting on rare earth metals and guess who the taliban was seen with ... china
then how do you charge them all California has already told citizens to stop charging cars so their rolling blackouts can be reduced texas exposed the flaws with solar and wind not being reliable
until such time as there is a major breakthrough in batteries this will never change
I like the idea i do not like supporting china
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CPT Angela Wilder - I like the concept! For strictly home station uses, I don't see why this wouldn't be a workable option. It's just my own opinion but I think part of the hesitancy is that many service vehicles (pickups, vans, maintenance vehicles, etc) could be sent "downrange" depending on the location and mission requirements. Charging stations may not (and most likely won't) be available whereas POL is more readily obtainable. Also, I can refuel a gas/diesel vehicle in minutes when the "fecal matter has impacted the atmospheric oscillator" whereas most electrics can take hours to fully recharge. Technology advances almost on a daily basis so that may become moot before long as well.
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CPT Angela Wilder
So far, it looks hybrids and not electric only would be the solution. However, according to an article that I linked to in another response, the U.S. Army is moving forward by implementing electric vehicle technology in tactical vehicles. So far, I am only aware of hybrids being researched and installed on an U.S. Airforce installations. I only received a negative response to the feasibility of electric only installation vehicles on Army bases. If it can be done with U.S. Army tactical vehicles…
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CPT Lawrence Cable
CPT Angela Wilder - I can give you the downside on Electric Vehicles. First is cost. If we look at one of the cheaper Electric Vehicles, the Nissan Leaf, it's $28,000. Compared to a similar sized Nissan, the Versa, which well equipped is $18,000. Then there is weight, sends we move stuff around the world a lot. The Leaf is about 3500 lbs. and the Versa around 2500 lbs. Then range and charging time, about 220 miles on the Leaf (which is horrible) and 2-4 hours charging on the home charge, down to about 30 minutes on a Fast Charge. The Versa has about a 350 mile range and can be refueled in a few minutes. Then the last, lithium batteries have a lot worse habit than gasoline engines of bursting into flames during an accident and reducing the vehicles to a burned out hull.
BTW, the problem is not electric motors, it is that the energy density in a battery is far less than in a gallon of gasoline. Battery Technology is mature, and over the years the improvement has been incremental, so chances of big technology breakthrough on capacity isn't likely to happen.
Now fuel cells have a lot of potential and they can be refueled just like a internal combustion engine.
BTW, the problem is not electric motors, it is that the energy density in a battery is far less than in a gallon of gasoline. Battery Technology is mature, and over the years the improvement has been incremental, so chances of big technology breakthrough on capacity isn't likely to happen.
Now fuel cells have a lot of potential and they can be refueled just like a internal combustion engine.
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MSG Randall Rankin
The R&D community is still heavily researching electric/hybrid powertrains. We had electric "buggies" at TACOM /TARDEC for about a year. They don't work worth a darn in the winter (NO HEAT!)
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SPC Stiv ChenRobbins
A lot of the problem is probably tha the military likes to adopt technologies on an all-or-nothing basis. There are probably bases where the tech is feasible. Not places like Alaska or Minnesota.
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