The Electric Army

[redbone3]

So, the US Military is ordered to go electric. I believe that is absolutely ludricious. Here is an example: an average EV weighs around 5000 pounds and has a 1000 pound battery. So that is around 20% of it's weight. It can be recharged on a 230V AC charger, in your garage in lets say 6 hours.
An M1 tank weighs around 120,000 pounds. That's 24 times the weight of the average EV. It would need a battery that weights 24,000 pounds. So, your garage charger would recharge it in 24 X 6 = 144 Hours. That is 6 days.

Now, suppose the Army devotes a diesel generator that has enough power to run 6 garage type chargers. That would only take 1 day to charge up your tank. Of course, now the army has to deploy a diesel generator, diesel fuel, and maintainance people and parts to maintain it. It still has to deploy the tank. The only "green" involved in this boondoggle is money. The same problem for troop carriers, heaters for tents, etc. etc. etc.

Of course, there are some that say: We will use only green energy to recharge our vehicles. Well, lots of luck setting up windmills and sun powered farms in a combat zone. I guess we will only attend a war if the battle zone is already equipped with green electric chargers. I wonder where that battle field will be?

I am grateful to be a Retired Air Force MSGt.

 

[Bjornviken]

omg... V8 diesel is better when poop hits the fan

 

[Vil_Riker]

They will need to carry mobile nuclear reactors wherever they go. Or maybe the idea is to stop invading other countries - just use proxy wars which is cheaper and invisible to the voting public.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

So, the US Military is ordered to go electric. I believe that is absolutely ludricious. Here is an example: an average EV weighs around 5000 pounds and has a 1000 pound battery. So that is around 20% of it's weight. It can be recharged on a 230V AC charger, in your garage in lets say 6 hours.
An M1 tank weighs around 120,000 pounds. That's 24 times the weight of the average EV. It would need a battery that weights 24,000 pounds. So, your garage charger would recharge it in 24 X 6 = 144 Hours. That is 6 days.

Now, suppose the Army devotes a diesel generator that has enough power to run 6 garage type chargers. That would only take 1 day to charge up your tank. Of course, now the army has to deploy a diesel generator, diesel fuel, and maintainance people and parts to maintain it. It still has to deploy the tank. The only "green" involved in this boondoggle is money. The same problem for troop carriers, heaters for tents, etc. etc. etc.

Of course, there are some that say: We will use only green energy to recharge our vehicles. Well, lots of luck setting up windmills and sun powered farms in a combat zone. I guess we will only attend a war if the battle zone is already equipped with green electric chargers. I wonder where that battle field will be?

I am grateful to be a Retired Air Force MSGt.

Can't you see our poor soldiers .... "uh, ok, hold on Dimitry, can we have a time out while we sit here and re-charge the tank we want to use to kill you with? How about some MREs and Vodka for 8 to 10 hour time out?"

 

[PandaBear]

U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric — With Detroit’s Help

U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric — With Detroit’s Help

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

It said "non combative vehicles", so I would imagine it would just be their own logistic vehicles inside base or within the US. It also said electric or hybrid.

Sending fuel to the front line is also not cheap, so I totally support going hybrid.

I wonder how many fleet lease vehicles they have around their admin offices.

 

[redbone3]

U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric — With Detroit’s Help

U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric — With Detroit’s Help

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

It said "non combative vehicles", so I would imagine it would just be their own logistic vehicles inside base or within the US. It also said electric or hybrid.

Sending fuel to the front line is also not cheap, so I totally support going hybrid.

I wonder how many fleet lease vehicles they have around their admin offices.

Here is an excerpt from the article you are citing: The Pentagon also wants to electrify its tactical vehicles — not just to combat climate change, but to achieve operational benefits as well, Hicks noted.

 

[IndyIan]

I think a diesel electric hybrid like a submarine would be ideal for a front line military vehicle. The ability to run near silent and without a significant heat signature must be of use in quite a few scenarios?

 

[Bjornviken]

U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric — With Detroit’s Help

U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric — With Detroit’s Help

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

It said "non combative vehicles", so I would imagine it would just be their own logistic vehicles inside base or within the US. It also said electric or hybrid.

Sending fuel to the front line is also not cheap, so I totally support going hybrid.

I wonder how many fleet lease vehicles they have around their admin offices.

Where are you getting electric in total war? Enemy will hit the power grid first, total black out

 

[PandaBear]

Here is an excerpt from the article you are citing: The Pentagon also wants to electrify its tactical vehicles — not just to combat climate change, but to achieve operational benefits as well, Hicks noted.

Where are you getting electric in total war? Enemy will hit the power grid first, total black out

I guess it depends, maybe plugging in a patrol vehicle is easier in some region if they can roll out a bunch of solar panels in a desert vs hauling in fuel from far away with helicopters or trucks risking road side bomb.

If I understand correctly most of our loss in the Golf and Afghan are from road side bombs instead of enemy fire on the initial assult.

 

[Bjornviken]

I guess it depends, maybe plugging in a patrol vehicle is easier in some region if they can roll out a bunch of solar panels in a desert vs hauling in fuel from far away with helicopters or trucks risking road side bomb.

If I understand correctly most of our loss in the Golf and Afghan are from road side bombs instead of enemy fire on the initial assult.

ok...how that's going to workout in a colder country

 

[redbone3]

I guess it depends, maybe plugging in a patrol vehicle is easier in some region if they can roll out a bunch of solar panels in a desert vs hauling in fuel from far away with helicopters or trucks risking road side bomb.

If I understand correctly most of our loss in the Golf and Afghan are from road side bombs instead of enemy fire on the initial assult.

How many acres of solar panels would it take to charge a tank? How many "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" would it take to move acres of solar panels? I can't imagine a more vulnerable place to be than a multi-acre solar panel farm in a combat zone.

 

[Vil_Riker]

I guess it depends, maybe plugging in a patrol vehicle is easier in some region if they can roll out a bunch of solar panels in a desert vs hauling in fuel from far away with helicopters or trucks risking road side bomb.

If I understand correctly most of our loss in the Golf and Afghan are from road side bombs instead of enemy fire on the initial assult.

You are correct, looks like they are talking about armored drones.

 

[PimTac]

The added weight is going to throw off the logistics of shipping these vehicles around the globe.

It’s all about spending money that is non existent right now.

 

[redbone3]

You are correct, looks like they are talking about armored drones.

This is only the Camel's nose. Today an armored drone, tomorrow a troop carrier, next week a C-17. Brought to you by the people who ordered the FHA to charge more fees if you have good credit. Logic is not a factor here.

 

[PandaBear]

The added weight is going to throw off the logistics of shipping these vehicles around the globe.

It’s all about spending money that is non existent right now.

It depends, you also have to worry about fuel logistics. If you are going to put a vehicle in somewhere you can get easy electricity vs hard to get liquid fuel, it would be easier to use solar in those area.

A few electric golf cart around the base is probably going to count toward those "EV"

Also the article I linked are mainly talking about hybrid, and it clearly said it can reduce fuel consumption by 35%. I am not sure what is the fuzz about weight of the vehicle shipping around the globe when weight of fuel saving isn't counted.

 

[redbone3]

I think a diesel electric hybrid like a submarine would be ideal for a front line military vehicle. The ability to run near silent and without a significant heat signature must be of use in quite a few scenarios?

They are making diesel electric subs right now. Have been since before WWII. We switched to nuclear for a reason. I don't think a hybrid vehicle would satisfy Washington.

 

[PandaBear]

You are correct, looks like they are talking about armored drones.

Do you need armored drones to carry paper mails and UPS packages within the base?

 

[PandaBear]

ok...how that's going to workout in a colder country

Hybrid?

 

[Eddie]

I think that heavy vehicles like tanks and big 4x8 are not include in the requirement. Jeep size, light trucks and staff vehicles etc. is probably the intent.

 

[MrHorspwer]

So, the US Military is ordered to go electric. I believe that is absolutely ludricious. Here is an example: an average EV weighs around 5000 pounds and has a 1000 pound battery. So that is around 20% of it's weight. It can be recharged on a 230V AC charger, in your garage in lets say 6 hours.
An M1 tank weighs around 120,000 pounds. That's 24 times the weight of the average EV. It would need a battery that weights 24,000 pounds. So, your garage charger would recharge it in 24 X 6 = 144 Hours. That is 6 days.

Now, suppose the Army devotes a diesel generator that has enough power to run 6 garage type chargers. That would only take 1 day to charge up your tank. Of course, now the army has to deploy a diesel generator, diesel fuel, and maintainance people and parts to maintain it. It still has to deploy the tank. The only "green" involved in this boondoggle is money. The same problem for troop carriers, heaters for tents, etc. etc. etc.

Of course, there are some that say: We will use only green energy to recharge our vehicles. Well, lots of luck setting up windmills and sun powered farms in a combat zone. I guess we will only attend a war if the battle zone is already equipped with green electric chargers. I wonder where that battle field will be?

I am grateful to be a Retired Air Force MSGt.

All that, or they can develop a hydrogen-generating APU that turns JP8 into hydrogen, then use the hydrogen to run a fuel cell.

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA432961.pdf

https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/htac_mar19_07_centeck.pdf

Army testing fuel cell technology for Abrams tank

The U.S. Army is testing fuel cell technology for an auxiliary power unit which can bring more electrical power on board an Abrams tank.

www.army.mil

Now you can scale that fuel cell to generate electricity for ancillary electronics in large equipment, generate electricity for stationary equipment, or mount it on a light vehicle and use it to generate electricity for propulsion.