The first batch of all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks has arrived at the United States Army’s Fort Carson in Colorado, according to The Gazette, signaling the military’s transition to zero-emissions vehicles.
For now, 25 units of Ford’s electric pickup have been delivered to the base, and they’ll be used for maintenance and ongoing construction around Fort Carson, but hundreds more EVs are set to arrive, as the US Army looks to replace all of its cars, trucks, vans, and other light-duty non-tactical vehicles across its installations with electric alternatives by 2027.
By 2050, the Army wants to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and to make the goal more attainable, EVs for light tactical work are also in development, such as GM Defense’s all-electric Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) and the Hummer EV-based Electric Military Concept Vehicle (EMCV) that features a 46-inch gun ring and can carry six people.
Gallery: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning: 2022 Motor1.com Star Awards
Last year, the Department of Defense had about 170,000 non-tactical vehicles in its inventory, according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks who spoke with National Defense.
“That’s the largest fleet in the federal government, next to the U.S. Postal Service,” she said. "Our success in transitioning this massive fleet to zero emissions, most of which will be electric, will depend on America’s auto industry and auto workers right here in Detroit,” Hicks added, referring to the relationship with General Motors.
Granted, that’s just 0.06 percent of America’s total fleet of 283 million vehicles in 2022, which includes cars and light trucks, according to S&P Global, but as a Brown University researcher found, the Department of Defense is the world’s largest institutional user of gas and the largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. So the transition to an all-electric fleet of vehicles used around military bases makes a lot of sense.
At Fort Carson, for instance, the public works department will use the new Ford Lightning pickups for maintenance work and to inspect construction sites on the base, such as road paving and pipeline work, according to Joe Wyka, the base's director of public works, quoted by The Gazette.
"The feedback's been very positive. I think a lot of people are skeptical until they actually drive one," Wyka said.
The first five Level 2 charging stations for the electric trucks are expected to go online next week, with ChargePoint being the chosen provider. The stations are partially installed, but work on them has been delayed by supply-chain issues, as per the source.
The Ford F-150 Lightning comes as standard with two electric motors and all-wheel drive. With the Standard Range battery, power output is rated at 452 horsepower, while the Extended Range pack ups the figure to 580 hp, while peak torque is 775 pound-feet (1,050 Newton-meters) for both variants.
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