FORT EUSTIS, Va. – The U.S. Army may need to start converting its wheeled fleet, including the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), to run on electric engines in the next decade, according to the general in charge of future force design. Military.com reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
30 April 2020 -- Vehicle designers at Tesla Inc. in Palo Alto, California, have already shown that electric motor technology can be scaled up to run vehicles the size of the JLTV and larger, says Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, deputy commander of Army Futures Command and director of the Futures and Concepts Center at Fort Eustis, Va..
One of the biggest challenges for the Army would be figuring out a way to recharge electric vehicles dependably anywhere on the battlefield, Wesley says. Electric engines also would be simpler to maintain and create less of a burden on the supply chain.
"Right now, we don't see the technology on the near-term horizon being able to power heavy vehicles; it's just too much of a drain on the battery," Wesley explains. Yet the Army may have to make a decision in the next decade to transition its wheeled vehicles to electric motor technology.
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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
