Dover Air Force Base is the first of three Air Force bases to have electric vehicle chargers constructed on-base. They have roughly 36 chargers with more on the way.
The ratio of gas-to-electric vehicles on base is still relatively small, according to Assistant Secretary for Installations and Energy Ravi Chaudhary. Out of more than 200 government vehicles, 4 are electric.
“You could say that we’re almost entirely dependent on diesel or petroleum products to run our vehicles across the installation,” Chaudhary said. “But what we’re trying to do is take that first step to give that capability a chance to grow.”
The base is working toward a 2021 government-wide executive order for 100% zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035.
“I think there is no oak tree that doesn’t first start from an acorn,” Chaudhary said. “By putting in these first charging stations that are really an acorn to the future of redundancy and energy capability across our installations, we are setting a path towards ensuring our air force is more effective.”
The U.S. Department of the Air Force Non-tactical Vehicle Fleet Electrification Pilot Program funded the construction of the chargers.
Chaudhary said relying on alternatives like electric vehicles could help “the future fight” in world conflicts, reserving fuel for other combat military vehicles. The DAF is the federal government's largest consumer of petroleum products, and it is a necessary tool in distant theaters, according to the DAFB public affairs department.
Having electric vehicles and chargers on base ensures base operations can continue even during an IT outage like the one last Friday, according to Chaudhary.
“If all of our computers went down, we wouldn’t be able to know which vehicles need to go where,” Chaudhary said. “Now with this new capability, we won’t have a problem with ensuring they have the fuel they need to do their job.” ‘
In 2027, the DAF will begin acquiring zero-emissions vehicles exclusively, according to the DAFB public affairs department.
Chaudhary’s goal is to reduce fuel consumption to build battery storage capacity.
