Volcon Inc., the first all-electric, off-road powersports company, announced today that it has received notice of award of two additional orders to deliver a total of five Stag UTV vehicles to the U.S. Army under the management of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). The Stag is expected to be delivered to multiple U.S. Army locations in late 2023.
View the Volcon Stag in action here: https://www.volcon.com/stag
Awarded through the Department of Logistics (DLA) Tailored Logistic Program (TLSP), and to be fulfilled by Noble, the slightly modified commercial version of the Stag will include an enhanced 54kWh electric powertrain. The vehicle will be utilizedto support the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) disaster and emergency response missions, in accordance with the National Response Framework (NRF). Missions include emergency power support, emergency infrastructure assessments, debris removal, and urban search and rescue, which require rapidly deployable and energy efficient systems to successfully initiate and conduct emergency response, disaster, and contingency operations. In addition, ERDC-CERL’s intent is to introduce the Stag to soldiers rotating through their training sites and explore other opportunities for military applications.
“What we are witnessing in federal and state procurement is beyond a movement to simply comply with administrative requirements for fleet electrification,” says Volcon Vice President of Global Defense and Government Programs, Richard Tannery. “These mandates provide good introductions to government decision makers regarding the technology, and many are realizing that EV performance speaks for itself. The conversation is shifting to one of tactical advantage, over sustainability.”
As Volcon continues to enter new sales channels, its ability to rapidly prototype and leverage strategic and innovative collaborations has been met with increased interest by various defense and government entities. Especially as they will need to meet the aggressive timelines for fleet electrification as set by the US Army’s 2022 Climate Strategy, and the Biden administration’s 2021 Federal Sustainability Plan. Tannery continued, “There is hesitance in early adoption of electrified fleets, until decision makers are aware that we can export power for tactical surveillance and communications systems, provide silent overwatch for forward reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, traverse all-terrain conditions with a reduced thermal and noise signature, reduce maintenance requirements, and begin to assess how to more efficiently manage the logistical requirements of petroleum-based fuels in contested environments. The technology needs to be chosen for the correct mission set. That is the real conversation. We can’t force technology into the battlefield to the disadvantage of the warfighter just because it feels good. Instead, we have to apply the technology to the correct tactical application. That’s how you deploy new technology, today.”
