The Pentagon’s push to electrify the US Arny’s fleet can encounter major hurdles in the near future. A new report reveals contents from several GOP proposals that aim to restrict electric vehicle research and development for the US armed forces.
Under President Biden, the military is looking to adopt EVs into its fleet, but Republicans’ proposed amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) could hinder these efforts, reported The Washington Post.
The amendment by Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania includes defunding developments in “electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging, or photovoltaic technology.”
Perry also aims to restrict the use of critical minerals for manufacturing EV batteries. Additionally, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert has proposed “termination of contracts for electric non-tactical vehicles.”
The House might vote on the NDAA this week, but it’s unclear whether the amendments will garner enough support, or pass the chamber. But conservatives’ influence over the House Rules Committee might impact the success of the amendments.
Militaries are among the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions, and the Pentagon is the world’s largest institutional consumer of oil.
Last year, the US Army Climate Strategy listed the hazards of continued use of fossil fuels in war zones and the possible solutions. Climate change-fuelled natural disasters can increase the frequency of crisis deployments, disrupt operations, and jeopardize soldiers’ health.
To counter the dangers, the army plans to field an all-electric non-tactical vehicle fleet by 2035, and fully electric tactical vehicles by 2050. The plan also includes providing green electricity for army installations by 2030 and charging infrastructure on all Department of Defense (DoD) installations.
A June 2023 report by the Institute for Energy Research suggests that the disadvantages of EVs on the battlefield far outweigh the benefits at the moment.
A 50-ton combat vehicle would require a 17-megawatt charger to recharge within 15 minutes, and if the charging station is fossil fuel dependent, it would consume 1200 gallons of diesel per hour.
Even though EVs can be stealthy on the battlefield, they can generate electromagnetic fields for enemies to detect using sensory equipment. Hence, electrification may only be practical for support vehicles, as per the report.
Some automakers have already joined the DoD’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Last month, General Motors Defense revealed its Electric Military Concept Vehicle (EMCV) for the US Army’s electric Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (eLRV) program. The EMCV is based on the Hummer EV and uses GM’s Ultium battery and architecture.
