this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
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Politics
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So surround the battery in half inch thick carbon fiber plating and call it a day. Military vehicles are usually less worried about weight limits than civilian vehicles and they're especially not worried about looking pretty. Armoring your vehicle isn't a new idea.
CFRis actually not the best for ballistic protection. Chances are they will go with a composite based off chobbam armor. (Which may or may not be CF-reinforced ceramics,)
Going to start running into cooling issues there as well.
Look, I'm all for electrification in as many places as we can, but there are absolutely many military use cases where they currently aren't feasible. Not to mention lithium batteries getting blown up is significantly worse for the surrounding environment long term than a diesel vehicle.
I would imagine the military is considering all of these factors. If there is actually political pressure to electrify vehicles in contexts where it's truly not appropriate, that would be alarming, but I haven't heard of any evidence of that happening at all, so I wouldn't say it's a meaningful concern.
Reinforced steel then? It both conducts heat and works as armor. I'm confident a technological solution exists.
Yes, and there are likely many circumstances where electric is preferable. With the right equipment this could allow military operations without supply chains delivering fuel. Batteries to be refilled by solar, or portable fission or fusion reactors, for example.
I suspect a military that uses depleted uranium rounds and burns all its waste in massive fire pits doesn't prioritize pollution reduction.