Charging stations coming to US military sites as DOD rolls out EVs
The Department of Defense (DOD) is well aware that electric vehicles are rolling out at a record pace and are only expected to continue gaining vehicle market share. As a result, the Defense Innovation Unit, a sub-division of the DOD, is partnering with the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army Reserve to install EV charging stations at eight US military sites.
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) was established to help “accelerate the adoption of leading commercial technology throughout the military” to enhance capabilities and national security.
An issue that doesn’t get enough attention is the DOD’s fight against mother nature. Climate change presents several threats to US national security, with a growing number of harmful weather events like hurricanes, droughts, extreme temperatures, and floods. Since 2017, weather-related deaths are up by 35%, according to the National Security Council.
I saw firsthand the devastating effects weather could have after Hurricane Ian changed paths at the last minute, slamming into Florida as a category four with 155mph winds when it made landfall.
As a result, the DOD responds by providing response teams (National Guard) to clear roads, deliver essential supplies like water and food, and conduct search and rescue, all of which take considerable resources.
Former US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel even labeled climate change a “threat multiplier” due to its ability to accelerate other issues, like disease.
To help combat and limit the effects climate change is having in the US, the DOD has rolled out a climate action plan for each division. A focal point of the new action plan is implementing electric vehicles into its fleet.
In early October, the DOD said it was testing GM’s Ultium platform for functional military vehicles. Now, the Department is partnering to pilot the installation of modern EV charging stations across eight military sites to provide charging solutions, paving the way for electric vehicle adoption.
EV charging for fleet and personal military vehicles
According to DIU energy portfolio manager Benjamin Richardson, a combination of Level 2 and Level 3 chargers will be deployed. On top of this, EV charging will be available for government and privately owned military vehicles.
After installation, the DIU will run a year-long program, studying:
- Uptime
- Wait times
- Vehicle types
- Fleet or personal vehicles
- Time to repair
The program will test a charging-as-a-service payment model to offset infrastructure costs. Mr. Richardson says:
By increasing the number of chargers on military bases, DOD is creating the infrastructure needed to expand EV usage, which will minimize carbon emissions in the long run. Upon successful completion of the pilot, DOD partners intend to rollout chargers to other bases across the United States.
The DIU received 44 submissions for its military EV charging project, which will be narrowed to seven by a panel of DOD experts. To complete the first eight pilots, the DOD has partnered with TechFlow, which has expertise in energy efficiency and sustainable projects.
Keith Benson, director of energy-navy installations command, adds:
EV technology is not novel, but its use in military installations is, especially when combining Level-2 and Level-3 chargers for overnight and fast-charging use cases within the same military base. We’re excited to help with the military’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint by making EV charging for government and service members more accessible than ever.
The DIU can accelerate the prototype contract award in 60 to 90 days compared to DOD contracting, which can take over 18 months. Once the program is complete, the successful prototypes can transition to follow-on production-OT agreements or FAR-based contracts.
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Tesla average transaction prices (ATPs) in March are estimated at $54,582, higher year-over-year by 3.5% and higher than in February, according to the latest monthly new-vehicle ATP report from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.
Average transaction prices for the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y were higher month-over-month and year-over-year in March. Tesla’s sales in Q1 continued their long-term decline after peaking in Q1 2023. Estimates from Kelley Blue Book suggest Tesla’s sales in Q1 2025 were lower year-over-year by more than 8%. Its deliveries were also worse than expected.
New EV prices in March overall are initially estimated by Kelley Blue Book to be $59,205, higher year-over-year by 7.0%. New EV prices increased from the revised higher February ATP of $57,015.
The ATP for an EV last month was nearly 25% higher than the industry average of $47,462, widening the price gap between new EVs and gas-powered cars even more.
But EVs are still seeing heftier incentives than the industry average. In March, the average EV incentive came in at 13.3% of the transaction price – down 1% from February’s revised 14.3% but still well above what gas cars are getting.
So, where are we heading? Higher prices, thanks to Trump’s tariffs. But what that will look like remains to be seen. Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, said, “All signs point to higher prices this summer, as existing ‘pre-tariff’ inventory is sold down to be eventually replaced with ‘tariffed’ inventory. How high prices rise for consumers is still very much to be determined, as each automaker will handle the price puzzle differently.”
Read more: EV incentives surged to 14.8% of ATP in Feb – highest in 5+ years
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BYD just launched the first EVs based on its new Super e-platform with ultra-fast charging. The new Han L sedan and Tang L SUV can gain nearly 250 miles range in 5 minutes, and prices start at just $30,000.
Meet BYD’s new EVs with ultra-fast charging
During a launch event on April 9, BYD introduced the new EV models, claiming its engineers have “achieved the master realm of Chinese technology.”
The Han L and Tang L are the first EVs based on BYD’s 1000V Super e-platform. After unveiling the ultra-fast EV charging platform last month, BYD’s CEO, Wang Chuanfu, said to ease charging anxiety, “The ultimate solution is to make charging as quick as refueling a gasoline car.”
That solution is now here. BYD’s new Han L is available in three trims, starting at just 219,800 yuan ($30,000), lower than the pre-sale price of 270,000 yuan ($36,800).
BYD’s new electric sedan is 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall, or about the size of a Tesla Model S (5,021 mm long, 1,987 mm wide, and 1,431 mm tall).
All variants are powered by an 83.2 kWh BYD Blade battery, providing up to 435 miles (701 km) of CLTC driving range. Based on BYD’s 1,000V architecture, the Han L comes with two charge guns with an up to 10C charge rate.
Nearly 250 miles in just 5 minutes?
With ultra-fast charging, the electric sedan can gain 400 km (248 miles) in just five minutes. In six minutes, it can recharge from 10% to 70%, and in just 20 minutes, it can fully recharge (0% to 100%) the battery.
Like all its new EV models, the Han L is equipped with BYD’s God’s Eye smart driving assist system. It features the mid-tier “B” version and DiPilot 300.
BYD’s new electric SUV, the Tang L, is also offered in three trims. It starts at 239,800 yuan ($32,700), also below the pre-sale price of 280,000 yuan ($38,200).
The Tang L is also based on BYD’s 1,000V architecture and ultra-fast charging platform. Powered by a 100.5 kWh battery, it has a CLTC range of up to 435 miles (701 km) and can gain 230 miles (370 km) in 5 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes to go from 0% to 100%.
BYD’s electric SUV is 5,040 mm long, 1996 mm wide, and 1,760 mm tall, or slightly bigger than the new Tesla Model Y Juniper in China (4,797 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,624 mm tall).
Like the Han L EV, the electric SUV has BYD’s God’s Eye B ADAS system with DiPilot 300. Both the Han L and Tang are available as PHEVs, starting at 209,800 yuan ($28,500) and 229,800 yuan ($31,300).
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The fintech sector is rallying Wednesday following the Trump administration’s announcement of a 90-day pause on planned tariffs.
Affirm was up 20%, Toast and Block rose 13% and PayPal increased 10%.
The 90-day pause doesn’t eliminate the threat of tariffs — it just delays it. Investors are still pricing in risk, including inflation, discretionary pullbacks, hardware import costs and credit exposure.
Legacy payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard, both up 6%, continue to benefit from inflation and their structural ties to nominal GDP. These companies take a percentage of every transaction. That makes rising prices a tailwind.
“If prices are moving up for certain goods and you’re paying with a credit card, it’s actually good for the credit card companies,” said Dan Dolev, a fintech analyst at Mizuho.
Their pricing structure has historically made them resilient during inflationary periods, including recessions. The situation is less rosy for the new wave of consumer lending fintechs.
Affirm, which specializes in allowing consumers to buy now and pay later, could suffer if consumers pull back spending when the pause is lifted as a result of tariffs causing prices to rise. The San Francisco-based company could see its revenue less transaction costs margins — essentially what the company pockets after paying processing fees and customer incentives — drop more than 22% in that scenario, according to a Goldman Sachs estimate on Tuesday.
The adoption of buy now, pay later may rise as consumers hit credit limits, said SIG analyst James Friedman, but he added that the model remains untested in a downturn.
Toast, Block and Fiserv, which was up 6%, develop software used by restaurants and small businesses. Those companies could face rising hardware costs and softening demand from customers if the tariffs go through.
Meanwhile, cross-border payments — one of the most profitable segments for Visa, Mastercard and PayPal — remain under pressure as global travel slows and e-commerce flows adjust to the uncertainties of Trump’s tariffs.
Even remittance players such as Remitly and Western Union, both up 8%, could face longer-term pain if immigration pipelines slow or remittance corridors tighten under regulatory scrutiny. Similar to cross-border commerce, remittances depend on a steady flow of people and transactions, both of which remain fragile.
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