A Clean, Green, Killing Machine? Special Operations Units Test Electric Vehicles
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA 
on 09. 8.07
We’re into electric vehicles here at Treehugger, but even with the likes of the Tesla Roadster and the Vectrix beginning to appear, there is still a preconception among many that they are, well, a little bit like sexed-up golf buggies. That doesn’t seem to bother the Special Operations unit of the US Air Force, however, who according to a report over at Wired have just announced that they will be testing an extremely mean looking golf buggy known as the CERV (Clandestine Electric Reconnaissance Vehicle):
The requirement is for a serial hybrid capability for an all-electric plug-in vehicle with a combination of AEV proprietary battery components, power management and advanced recharging techniques, lightweight vehicle composites, and an integrated silent drive-train that are the intellectual property of AEV. There are currently no known mature alternatives to the CERV meeting availability within eight months; all-terrain capable with a steady range in excess of 200 miles with a full battery pack at a minimum of 40mph. The CERV incorporates the latest technology to improve weight trade off and battery capability, both in materials and in software management, to further increase performance and range. The hybrid vehicle will be compatible with current and future renewable recharging methods and can be modified to add a generator/fuel cell technology to remotely recharge in the event that commercial power is not available. The CERV will also meet size requirements to be air-transported on AFSOC’s CV-22. Vehicle will carry up to 4 personnel.
As the original blog post over at Wired points out, moves like this should go along way towards improving the image of electric vehicles (especially among a constituency not easily impressed by the likes of the G-Wiz, we might add). And for those with $100,000 to spare, you can even get hold of your own version, minus the machine gun. For those doubting the CERV’s off road capabilities, there is an online video, though you’ll have to put up with some rather silly ‘heroic’ music.
We would also point out that this isn’t the only application of cleaner technology that makes military, as well as environmental, sense – in fact the Rocky Mountain Institute has long been touting the Pentagon as a key leverage point for development and adoption of post-petroleum technologies – most notably in their excellent volume Winning the Oil End Game. Of course there's nothing particularly green about war, but call us naive if you like, we tend to believe that a reduced dependence on foreign oil can only be a good thing in terms of peace and security too. ::American Electric Vehicles::via WIRED:: via The Register::
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
great - save the planet - kill people directly.
As we often hear loudly proclaimed here in the USA near the border with Mexico. "We don' need No stinkin' Cops", or Military, or any Authority for that manner. Just let the rest of the worlds people do whatever with us? Luckily we have enough people that disagree, to keep ourselves free from anarchy. http://blogengeezer.wordpress.com/
Dear sir/madam,
I would like to ask you some information for machine testing of Cars,
I would to open the GARRAS to sell the cars but my client not sure with the marchine of cars. so I need marchine electronec to checks the power of cars.
Regards,
Mr. Pech
The use of the electric cars not only benefits us to preserve the environment, for the other hand, we saved money in fuel. The prices increase every day more.