U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric - With Detroit's Help
02.04.2022 // Jon Harper
Right now, the U.S. Department of Defense has the largest fleet in the federal government, other than the U.S. Postal Service, numbering about 170,000 cars and trucks used on military bases. As the global goal of combating climate change becomes a mission for the U.S. armed forces, transitioning that fleet to zero-emissions vehicles is a project that the American auto industry will support, according to writer Jon Harper of National Defense magazine.
According to Harper, companies including General Motors and BAE Systems are working to transition both non-tactical and select tactical vehicles to electric drivetrains. GM Defense, in particular, plans to invest $35 billion in power and propulsion systems for EVs, according to the report:
“There is infrastructure that needs to be put on the bases, there’s a whole rollover of acquisition of these vehicles. But it truly is what we’re doing today on the commercial side” of the automotive business, DuMont said. GM is looking at creating microgrids to facilitate the transformation. Army Lt. Gen. Duane Gamble, deputy chief of staff, G-4, said electrification of non-tactical vehicles and their deployment on installations will help inform how the Defense Department leverages EV tech for other elements of the future force.
“Building trust in our soldiers, our civilians and our leaders in our non-tactical wheeled vehicle fleet and the infrastructure that goes along with that … will help us transition and fully understand not only the technology, but the challenges associated with incorporating it into our combat vehicles,” he told members of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness during a December hearing on operational energy.
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