Electric Powered Military Vehicles?

We keep hearing ing the media, in the UK, that motor manufacturers are intending to stop making vehicles with internal combustion engines in the not too distant future but has anyone given any thought to military vehicles? One can imagine a whole plethora of problems if an army could only operate battery powered vehicles in the future.

I've not heard that the ban on internal combustion engines won't apply to military vehicles or perhaps there is special provision for military vehicles that hasn't been reported in the media?

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

One can imagine a whole plethora of problems

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I agree...

In the US, in my state there is a new law that all municipal vehicles have to be electric or hybrid. The exemption being fire and police. And there is a law just passed that by 2031 all new vehicles will be electric, yet again same exemption. Im sure in the UK military and public safety will have exemption

Its only a matter of time before someone tries it, but they will by their very nature have to be really powerful, for the hardware that will have to be moved and remain functional, say like a tank, with every drive shaft doing its independent job.
Could be interesting. The only gain I can see in developing such a beast is the noise reduction.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

We keep hearing ing the media, in the UK, that motor manufacturers are intending to stop making vehicles with internal combustion engines in the not too distant future but has anyone given any thought to military vehicles? One can imagine a whole plethora of problems if an army could only operate battery powered vehicles in the future.

I've not heard that the ban on internal combustion engines won't apply to military vehicles or perhaps there is special provision for military vehicles that hasn't been reported in the media?

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The RAF also plans to be net zero carbon emissions...that'll require some gigantic rubber bands and a good deal of wind-up to keep those turbine blades moving.

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Originally Posted by StratA

The RAF also plans to be net zero carbon emissions...that'll require some gigantic rubber bands and a good deal of wind-up to keep those turbine blades moving.

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Or planting A LOT of trees.
Those corporate claims of going net zero always tickle me. They’re basically saying, “we’re not actually going to reduce our emissions, we’re just going to offset them.”

It’s easier to pay someone to plant trees than to actually make changes to how you do things.

Electric vehicles are good in a city environment; with exception of the lack of noise; which is a problem for pedestrians that don't hear the vehicles.
But electric vehicles are not so good for the environment when they need to be recycled. If all vehicles are to become battery driven; then we need a clean way to recycle the batteries.

What weights more; a pile of batteries or a tank of fuel? How to charge the batteries? Solar, wind,a long extension cord, a charging vehicle with a generator? We will have to see what the people in power can dream up!

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

We keep hearing ing the media, in the UK, that motor manufacturers are intending to stop making vehicles with internal combustion engines in the not too distant future but has anyone given any thought to military vehicles? One can imagine a whole plethora of problems if an army could only operate battery powered vehicles in the future.

I've not heard that the ban on internal combustion engines won't apply to military vehicles or perhaps there is special provision for military vehicles that hasn't been reported in the media?

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hahahahaha,

I have nothing to add, - battery powered vehicles are late 19th century technology, not the path forward into the future.

however, enshrining mental illness into law really seems to be the flavour of the day

I would imagine an all electric military vehicle army would fare way worse against an EMP than if they drove regular vehicles. I think an all electric military is a fantasy that will never happen in our lifetimes

I suppose one could say this topic has been talked about since the 1890's...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Motor_Vehicle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnjMdzGusc

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Originally Posted by jond41403

I would imagine an all electric military vehicle army would fare way worse against an EMP than if they drove regular vehicles. I think an all electric military is a fantasy that will never happen in our lifetimes

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I suspect you're right. Once certain "people" see the light on how much more wasteful and pollutive batteries are, both in the making and disposal of, cooler heads will prevail. Aside from quickly running out of ingredients (lithium, cobalt, nickle, etc), had a Tesla crash and burn in Houston last week that took over 30k gallons to put the fire out...

Russ

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Originally Posted by RASelkirk

I suspect you're right. Once certain "people" see the light on how much more wasteful and pollutive batteries are, both in the making and disposal of, cooler heads will prevail. Aside from quickly running out of ingredients (lithium, cobalt, nickle, etc), had a Tesla crash and burn in Houston last week that took over 30k gallons to put the fire out...

Russ

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there were statistics out a few years ago that merely manufacturing a Honda Prius consumed more energy and created more pollution than the completed manufacture and combined lifetime fuel & oil consumption of a US military HMMV ("Hummer")...

Unraveling the Hummer vs. Prius cost/pollution analysis

I suppose one solution may be to develop a range of self contained, portable, charging stations that one could deploy to the battlefield and allow the Challenger 2 - E. to break-off engaging the enemy and come in for it's 8 hour charge. The only problems would be the pollution caused by the diesel engine or gas turbine engine used to power the charging station and one may need to request a local ceasefire if all or most of one's armoured vehicles need charging at the same time.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I suppose one solution may be to develop a range of self contained, portable, charging stations that one could deploy to the battlefield and allow the Challenger 2 - E. to break-off engaging the enemy and come in for it's 8 hour charge. The only problems would be the pollution caused by the diesel engine or gas turbine engine used to power the charging station and one may need to request a local ceasefire if all or most of one's armoured vehicles need charging at the same time.

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Green vehicles and energy is not as environmentally friendly as we are being led to believe.
I wouldn't even bother with shooting at the vehicles at first - go for the charging stations and crew.

tech is not there yet. only way to do it, would be smaller quick change batteries. that way you just hot swap batteries when u need to "refuel" think like a cordless drill. the battery would have to be able to run a vehicle fully loaded for 300 miles. and couldn't weight more then what 1 person could change out (say 50-60 lbs). i can see something like this being useful and better then fuel. logistically it would be easier to transport the batteries then fuel since it would be lighter and take up less capacity. and if there was a way a Field Support Battalion could recharge them off the local grid, it would lighten the logistical burden even more. unfortunately the tech is not there to accomplish this, and i dont see it happening for a long time.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

only problems would be the pollution caused by the diesel engine or gas turbine engine used to power the charging station

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we can go green with that too, go with a small nuke generator. there are some very promising ones in the work. you can have a generator the size of a small conex that will power a city block. and the US army are looking at them to power FOBs. use some pebble bed, helium reactors and the radiation threat if hit is not to bad.

Pollution can't be OUR fault totally, which is where all this alternative energy stuff has been driven from.
I can remember London in the 60's where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face caused by chimney smog for most of the winter.........a bit like China and India are today.

Until EVERY country abides by some form of output restriction on their fossil useage, we will be going round in circles for at least another 30-50 years, until electric vehicles become affordable to everybody, IF thats what the climate change people want!!

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I suppose one solution may be to develop a range of self contained, portable, charging stations that one could deploy to the battlefield and allow the Challenger 2 - E. to break-off engaging the enemy and come in for it's 8 hour charge. The only problems would be the pollution caused by the diesel engine or gas turbine engine used to power the charging station and one may need to request a local ceasefire if all or most of one's armoured vehicles need charging at the same time.

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I was just thinking that if people thought gasoline powered Shermans' "brewed up" too easily, they haven't seen anything yet...

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Originally Posted by RASelkirk

I suspect you're right. Once certain "people" see the light on how much more wasteful and pollutive batteries are, both in the making and disposal of, cooler heads will prevail. Aside from quickly running out of ingredients (lithium, cobalt, nickle, etc), had a Tesla crash and burn in Houston last week that took over 30k gallons to put the fire out...

Russ

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Watch a Chieftain on cold start if you want a very big smoke screen for at least 10 minutes :lol:

Chieftain Tank Starting Up In Sub-Zero Temperature - YouTube

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

Watch a Chieftain on cold start

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Saw lots in Suffield thanks, fog off the laager for a half hour on a chilly prairie morning. Made brekky taste different too.

The VW Group has been making good progress on recycling EV batteries. - Bob

https://newsroom.vw.com/vehicles/vol...7-73E3CCE2659D

With electric vehicles you do get the power instantly combined with fantastic acceleration, assuming that there is any life left in the batteries, compared to the internal combustion engine. Just watch an electric train accelerate out of a station compared to a diesel powered one.

It amazes me how much the flatulence of cattle is said to damage the atmosphere. They've been on planet earth for thousands of years, happily munching grass, without causing a problem but now,all of a sudden, their digestion does appear a problem to some.

IMHO its just a lot of wind, and some aspects of it are definately over egged, everybody stop breathing :madsmile:

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

... Its only a matter of time before someone tries it, but they will by their very nature have to be really powerful, for the hardware that will have to be moved and remain functional, say like a tank, with every drive shaft doing its independent job.

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Every 50 ton tank will have to pull an attached trailer carrying 50 additional tons of Lithium batteries. :)

and........................you wouldn't want the Lithiums taking a direct hit as it would be like an Atom bomb going off behind you!!:)