You Go To War With The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle You Have, Not The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle You Want

From Defense News comes word that the United States Army is purchasing 4,000 neighborhood electric vehicles(NEVs) for use as on-base transport. Six of Chrysler’s Global Electric Motors (GEM) NEVs were delivered in a ceremony at Fort Meyer which was probably intended to highlight the army’s long-term efficiency goals. But something must have been lost in the bureaucratic translation. “We hope by showing the rest of the country what we can do with electric vehicles we can potentially drive the technology and the market, including the Chevy Volt [and] the Tesla that are out there now, and show a greater demand,” said Paul Bollinger, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Energy and Partnerships. I’m sorry sir, but what does the military have to do with a car that doesn’t exist and a $100k sportstoy? The NEVs probably make a lot of sense for on-base, especially if they can give it a sweet military nickname to wipe out memories of the cutesy GEM moniker. But seriously, Volt and Tesla? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Once the military reaches for its wallet though, there’s no knowing what might happen.

The army is serious about energy efficiency for a vast number of reasons. But according to Bollinger, “it is all about the battery technology.” And the specter of “foreign battery dependence” has clearly troubled the professionally paranoid. “One of the things we are looking at in the Army and spending millions of dollars on is enhancing battery technology not only for our vehicles but for our installations. If we put large amounts of renewable energy on our installations, be it solar or wind, it needs to be able to store that power when the sun is not up or the wind is not blowing.”

And by “spending millions,” he means that the military is (among other things) holding an EV contest. “A notice of intent to lease is on the street now. GSA [General Services Administration] will take all the responses and make a selection. We hope to have vehicles no later than April,” says Bollinger. “This is the first part of showing the industry that we are serious about electric vehicles and that we are going to buy more.” And probably not from BYD. No word on who is applying, but one imagines that few things would be more welcome in Detroit right now than a nice big military contract.