US. Army will invest $2.4 billion to integrate tactical hybrid and electric vehicles in its fleet 09

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Defence & Security News - United States
 
 
Saturday, November 9, 2013 09:46 AM
 
United States Army will invest $2.4 billion to integrate tactical hybrid and electric vehicles in its fleet.
The U.S. military is the largest single consumer of energy and fossil fuels on the planet. Estimates place the total energy consumption of the Department of Defense to be on par with the state of Oregon and greater than two-thirds of all countries. United States army will invest around $2.4 billion towards integrating hybrid (HEV) and plug-in electric (PEV) vehicles into its fleet.
     
The U.S. military is the largest single consumer of energy and fossil fuels on the planet. Estimates place the total energy consumption of the Department of Defense to be on par with the state of Oregon and greater than two-thirds of all countries. United States army will invest around $2.4 billion towards integrating hybrid (HEV) and plug-in electric (PEV) vehicles into its fleet.
U.S. Army Fuel Efficient Demonstrator (FED) Bravo concept diesel hybrid-electric vehicle.
     

The US military establishment is currently the world’s largest single consumer of energy and fossil fuels.

Estimates place the total energy consumption of the Department of Defence (DoD) on par with the state of Oregon and greater than two-thirds of all countries in its use of energy.

Scott Shepard, analyst at US-based Navigant Research said: “In remote theatres of operations, the cost of moving fuels to forward military locations can be a multiple of the cost of the fuel itself.

“The military’s approach to reducing fossil fuel consumption from non-tactical operations includes acquiring increasing numbers of vehicles powered by ethanol blend and biodiesel blend fuels, but the majority of the investment will go toward HEVs and PEVs.”

US military spending on HEVs, PEVs and ethanol-powered vehicles is expected to increase from more than $435 million in 2013 to $926 million by 2020.

In 2012 the DoD emitted over 70 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which equates to the Armed Forces consuming as much energy and emitting as much CO2 as Nigeria annually.

Navigant’s report said one particular area of focus for the military will be to develop microgrids in tandem with HEVs and PEVs for energy independence and producing storage devices to make electricity more portable.