Moving ahead with EVs, the DOD testing best methods to rollout EV chargers

The Defense Department's growing interest in electric and hybrid-electric vehicle technology continues to expand on a wider scale. Specifically, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will work with the US Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Army Reserve to install EV charging solutions on eight military bases located in the United States.

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As stated by Benjamin Richardson, the DIU energy portfolio director: "By increasing the number of chargers on military bases, DOD is creating the infrastructure needed to expand EV usage, which will minimize carbon emissions in the long run. Upon successful completion of the pilot, DOD partners intend to roll out chargers to other bases across the United States."

Since many of the EVs are work vehicles, there is the potential of mixing fast chargers along with slower chargers designed to recharge vehicles overnight. The DOD partnered with TechFlow, a California-based company specializing in renewable energy projects - and other vendors are scrambling to show off their wares for government officials.

After the program has been active for one year, the DIU will study uptime, wait times, vehicles serviced, time to repair, and whether the driver is in a personal vehicle or from the fleet.

There is a trend away from gasoline and diesel, with the federal government and police agencies evaluating different EV models. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became the first federal agency to roll out EVs, selecting the Ford Mustang Mach-E. However, there are other options available, including the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV, an all-electric model aimed towards law enforcement.

President Biden wants the federal government to cut carbon emissions by 65% by 2030 - and be fully carbon neutral by 2050 - so agencies will continue to invest heavily in different cleantech solutions. Since the government wants to change how it builds, purchases and manages assets, it's a good effort to begin installations of EV infrastructure on bases.