Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2nd Edition

7HEV Applications for Military Vehicles

7.1 Why HEVs Can Be Beneficial for Military Applications

There are several motivations, both direct and indirect, for HEVs for military applications. Military applications can include both direct vehicular applications, which are related to vehicular propulsion, and indirect applications in the sense of using electrically operated arms, or interfacing with the vehicular electrical system to create a microgrid to supply power to a military base etc.

One of the most important reasons for considering HEVs for military applications is the cost of fuel. Transporting fuel to the field through risky routes and over long distances can raise the cost of fuel significantly. The cost can rise from $1 in a regular civilian situation to $400 per gallon for carrying fuel to the battlefield (http://www.defensesystems.com/Articles/2010/03/11/Defense‐IT‐3‐Greens.aspx), and if an airlift is needed, the cost can even rise to $1000 per gallon. In general, the cost to carry fuel to the field is about $100 per gallon (http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/05/28/us‐commanders‐want‐deployable‐renewable‐energy‐generation). The bottom line is that we can assume that the cost of fuel will be several hundred dollars per gallon in military situations. So, even a small percentage saving in fuel can imply huge cost savings, to the tune of billions of dollars per year.

Other issues in military applications involve noise, which includes acoustic noise, electromagnetic ...