US Army’s Electric Tanks on Hold as Battery Technology Develops

The military’s grand vision of an all-electric fleet of tanks is being stymied by a battery sector that’s not even close to delivering the power the Army needs, according to two Pentagon officials.

The technological challenges mean not a single all-electric fighting vehicle is currently deployed in the field, with the Defense Department hoping intense interest in scaling up batteries for consumer and utility sectors will lead to breakthroughs for the battlefield.

To charge a 50-ton tracked combat vehicle inside the Army’s preferred envelope of 15 minutes, soldiers would need a 17-megawatt charging station—more than 20 times bigger than the ...