Military Contracts Are Big Business for E-Mobility Brands, and These Teams Are Cashing In

In this spirit, I've decided to shed light on a couple of manufacturers that are supplying militaries around the world with stealthy, quiet, and eco-friendly workhorses. Best of all, most of these crews build machines for folks like you and me, often infused with principles developed on the battlefield.

Delfast

First on our list is a Ukrainian manufacturer by the name of Delfast, the one and the same that's been supplying police forces all over the world for years now. They've always been known for manufacturing massively capable e-bikes, pedals and all.

However, part of this company also designs and builds EVs for military use. This is where their 3.0 Military comes in, an e-bike that's currently on the prowl throughout the Ukrainian countryside, helping troops carry heavy cargo, traversing treacherous terrains, all the while doing so with whisper-quiet drivetrains, just what the military needs.

Recon Power Bikes

Up next, we have an American brand, none other than Recon Power Bikes. If this name sounds familiar, it's because they're the same crew responsible for Hummer's one and only two-wheeling EV.

Well, they also manufacture a particular model, the Ranger, that is also used by law enforcement and the FBI and is suitable for first-responder use. Best of all, at the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, a Recon Ranger has been spotted, not to mention the U.S. Army logo proudly stamped on the manufacturer's website. Recon even adds portable solar charging capabilities into this e-bike mix.

Stealth Electric Bikes

While flying under most people's radar, but not the Australian military's, Stealth Electric Bikes is one of the crews that has been in the news before, precisely for the action they've seen with Australia's armed forces.

In Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment - the horse riders - took out a few Stealth B-52 e-bikes for a spin back in October 2021. Since then, things have been rather hush-hush, as an e-bike should be, leading me to believe that this segment of Australia's jarheads is zooming around on electrified wheels instead of hay-fed stallions.

Sur-Ron

We couldn't be talking about military EV action without including Sur-Ron in this article. However, there's a bit of a difference when we talk about this manufacturer; their machines don't have pedals, so they can't really be considered e-bikes.

But, with notable activity in countless forces worldwide, including the US military, Sur-Ron has secured a name for itself as one of the electric two-wheeler manufacturers that armed forces can go to for a quiet, fast, and capable backcountry devouring machine. After all, Sur-Ron builds electric dirt bikes, not necessarily e-bikes. I wonder if Sweden's Cake is doing anything military.

From here, I've decided to add a couple of bicycle manufacturers with the potential to serve military forces, but to my knowledge, they aren't doing so just yet.

QuietKat

A couple of years ago, I came across a crew dubbed QuietKat, and just as their name would suggest, they build stealthy and powerful two-wheeling 'cats,' some of which are even designed to be used as a perfect hunting aid while you're carrying gear and even captured game.

While this team doesn't supply the military with their e-machines, local law enforcement and first responders all over the US have shaken hands with QuietKat for their e-bikes. The military is only a step away.

Bakcou

The final entry in today's list is none other than Bakcou, a team from right here in the US, and while they, too, don't yet offer their machines to the military, first responders are already on their list. They also follow a similar trajectory to QuietKat but with some very notable differences.

What attracted me to this crew is the fact that they aren't looking to skimp out on cash just so you can say you have an e-bike. No sir. This crew doesn't care how much their e-machine will end up costing you or your local police department; you'll be buying a downright tank built to take as much abuse as your world throws at you. Check out the MAV 3 to see what I mean.

Now, these aren't the only teams supplying militaries across the globe with electric two-wheelers. Heck, some armed forces are even exploring off-road e-scooters as a means of getting around fast and quiet. For example, the Mosphera e-scooter is one of the hunks of lithium I'm talking about.

As for why this trend is happening, well, there are several angles we can look at. First of all, military forces are bound to show interest in vehicles that are quiet, clean, and can cover an array of terrain in one go, not to mention carrying cargo in the process.

Regarding manufacturers of such machines, it's also in their interest to build machines that can fuel the war machine. Why? Simply because securing a government contract, no matter the industry, means you've secured your company's future.

With all that in mind, I can feel it's safe to say that we'll be seeing a whole lot more EV manufacturers producing machines to taper to the needs of armed forces worldwide.