Army Moves to Electric Cars

[babylonsister]

http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2235

Army Moves to Electric Cars
by: Brandon Friedman
Mon Nov 24, 2008 at 23:52:26 PM EST


Now this sounds like a pretty good idea:



Aiming to save fuel and advance alternative-energy plans, the Army, Navy and Air Force intend to buy thousands of battery-powered, 35-mile-an-hour electric cars and light trucks to provide on-base transport, senior Army officials said.

"The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle {NEV} will be at Fort Belvoir, {Va.,} before Dec. 15. Our goal is to have the secretary {of the Army, Pete Geren} there to drive in one of the first ones," said Paul Bollinger, deputy assistant Army secretary for energy and partnerships. "We are having bumper stickers put on and decals on the doors which say 'Army Green, Army Strong.'"

Does this mean no more taking the humvee down to the range?

[Marrah_G]

1. This is very cool- now they need to put up some windmills and solar arays on base too

[Uncle Joe]

5. I read on one thread a week or so back, a commander in Iraq

was asking for solar to supply energy for his base.

[madrchsod]

2. obama earmarked funds for army research into algae fuels

the army is researching the use of algae fuels to replace fossil fuels in the coming years

[jmowreader]

3. It means no more dispatching a humvee to drive around garrison in

They'll have to dispatch humvees to go to the range--some ranges are REALLY far from the barracks.

Right now, though, if the supply sergeant needs to pick up small items like paper or rifle cleaner, he's got to get a humvee--a vehicle that gets 6mpg. NEVs make a LOT of sense in this application.

The best part of the whole thing: it will give the electric vehicle industry the capital it needs to go mainstream. The Defense Department bought 57,000 humvees on its initial contract. Imagine them buying 57,000 of these!

[Trillo]

4. I wonder if a vehicle like this were put on the market

at a reasonable price, even though it would be limited to slower speed streets, if it would sell well? Slap a few PV cells on the vehicle's roof as an option....

I'm thinking a LOT of people want off Big Oil.