I think you’re underselling the state of gas and diesel off-road vehicles and overselling evs in the very rough, very logistically detached space.
I obviously am not present in this conflict, and can only relate from a VERY distantly similar occupation: Wildland firefighting. I’ve not seen an ev that could live up to the way we used and abused trucks, side by sides and ATVs.
Edit Again, I’m not claiming I’m a combat veteran, or claiming firefighting is as demanding. Only that they’re is some obvious overlap in how equipment is used, and detachment from logistics.
Often there would simply be a pallet of 5 gallon jugs we would stop by, to fill up. Sometimes 55 gallon drums with a hand pump. No charging infra possible.
With good glowplugs we got diesel trucks started in the early morning, in freezing temps.
As long as you don’t flood the intake, ice vehicles are fine in the water. I’ve read they many evs have vents on the battery packs that don’t agree with immersion, though this one especially I’m sure they are ruggadizing.
But we are probably both a bit off and it is in the middle.
I know this is changing, I just haven’t seen an ev do it yet.
I legit look forward to seeing evs in such a role, but I’m not aware of big contacts for them yet
Most of that is because ICE vehicles have been the default for a very long time, so there’s a lot of niche applications that don’t have an EV developed for them yet.
I only know of a single ev prototype being looked at by the US military, so it’s not like they’re going full steam ahead, I’m just saying that for some missions they seem viable. Maybe even preferable (“single use” short range drones perhaps…)
I think you’re underselling the state of gas and diesel off-road vehicles and overselling evs in the very rough, very logistically detached space.
I obviously am not present in this conflict, and can only relate from a VERY distantly similar occupation: Wildland firefighting. I’ve not seen an ev that could live up to the way we used and abused trucks, side by sides and ATVs.
Edit Again, I’m not claiming I’m a combat veteran, or claiming firefighting is as demanding. Only that they’re is some obvious overlap in how equipment is used, and detachment from logistics.
Often there would simply be a pallet of 5 gallon jugs we would stop by, to fill up. Sometimes 55 gallon drums with a hand pump. No charging infra possible.
With good glowplugs we got diesel trucks started in the early morning, in freezing temps.
As long as you don’t flood the intake, ice vehicles are fine in the water. I’ve read they many evs have vents on the battery packs that don’t agree with immersion, though this one especially I’m sure they are ruggadizing.
But we are probably both a bit off and it is in the middle.
I know this is changing, I just haven’t seen an ev do it yet.
I legit look forward to seeing evs in such a role, but I’m not aware of big contacts for them yet
Most of that is because ICE vehicles have been the default for a very long time, so there’s a lot of niche applications that don’t have an EV developed for them yet.
Acknowledged, my reservation was only focused on what is currently rolling around, not the entire span of human technological progress ahead of us
Nothing really competes with the energy density of liquid fuel, to be fair, so it will always be around in military applications to some extent.
I only know of a single ev prototype being looked at by the US military, so it’s not like they’re going full steam ahead, I’m just saying that for some missions they seem viable. Maybe even preferable (“single use” short range drones perhaps…)