U.S. Military Wants Its Vehicles to Go Electric--With Detroit's Help.

• Author: Harper, Jon

To combat climate change, boost U.S. industry and achieve operational advantages, the Defense Department has ambitious plans to transform its fleet of ground vehicles through the introduction of electric and hybrid-electric drive technologies. Automakers see major opportunities to help the military and win business.

Addressing what it calls the climate crisis is a top policy priority of the Biden administration.

"The department is committed to meeting the challenge by making significant changes in our use of energy and increasing our investments in clean energy technology," Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said in November during remarks at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

The Pentagon is developing a "sustainability plan," part of which will be focused on developing a zero emissions non-tactical vehicle fleet.

"Currently the Department of Defense has about 170,000 non-tactical vehicles--the cars and trucks we use on our bases," Hicks noted. "That's the largest fleet in the federal government, next to the U.S. Postal Service. Our success in transitioning this massive fleet to zero emissions, most of which will be electric, will depend on America's auto industry and auto-workers right here in Detroit."

General Motors has committed to investing $35 billion in advanced vehicle technologies, to include power and propulsion systems for electric vehicles, noted Steve DuMont, president of GM Defense. The parent company plans to have 30-plus EVs in its product offerings by 2035.

"All of that has relevance to what our defense customers are looking at," he told National Defense. "If you look at the non-tactical vehicles that are used in a [military] base or installation environment, to me that's just low hanging fruit."

DuMont has been talking with the brass across the services to discuss the way ahead.

"When I met with [Deputy] Secretary Hicks, she made it really clear. I mean, her vision is let's start with the things that are easiest to do. And I put [electrifying the non-tactical fleet] in that category," he said. "There are opportunities to work with the DoD in that first area."

There will be some challenges involved, he acknowledged.

"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.

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