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Former President Trump voiced opposition to electric army tanks on Friday.
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump expressed his concerns regarding the Biden administration’s exploration of electric army tanks, suggesting that despite releasing fewer pollutants, these tanks “will not be able to go very far.”
This criticism comes amidst broader efforts by the Pentagon to incorporate more clean energy across its operations, with a vision to field an all-electric light-duty nontactical fleet by 2027, followed by a complete transition of the nontactical fleet to electric by 2035.
While these fleets comprise of vehicles that do not have combat capabilities, there is a long-term goal to roll out hybrid tactical vehicles by 2035, eventually introducing fully electric tactical vehicles, including tanks, by 2050.
However, the move towards greener alternatives spearheaded by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth is facing technological barriers. A Bloomberg report from June disclosed the current technical limitations hindering the development of fully electric tactical vehicles, which are further along in development compared to their hybrid counterparts. Despite the hurdles, the Biden Administration remains determined to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate risks, deemed an “acute risk” to global safety and readiness. Wormuth has previously said there is an urgency for the military to “adapt across our entire enterprise and purposefully pursue greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.”
The initiative has encountered resistance from Republicans who question the viability of an electric fleet, dismissing the Pentagon’s push for electric vehicles as “woke” policies. Republicans have voiced concerns about the technological readiness and the practicality of transitioning to electric and hybrid options in the military sector.
