More hybrids on the way to federal fleets

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will double the federal government's hybrid fleet this year. The agency announced that it will buy about 5,600 hybrid vehicles this spring as part of its annual fleet purchase. A GSA spokesperson told Govpro.com that the acquisition includes the hybrid Ford Fusion, Ford Escape, and Chevy Silverado models.

Vehicle deliveries will start within 90 days and continue over the rest of the calendar year. The purchase will increase the federal hybrid fleet to 11,125 hybrid cars and trucks with no net growth in the fleet overall, because it is part of each agency's planned fleet purchase for 2010. The new vehicles replace older, less fuel-efficient models.

In addition to taxpayer dollars earmarked for the purchases, the GSA will use proceeds from the sale of its older vehicles to buy the hybrids.

In its announcement, the GSA said it also plans to buy about 100 plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles in fiscal year 2011.

The resulting improvement in fleet fuel efficiency will reduce petroleum consumption by the equivalent of 7.7 million gallons of gas, or 385,000 barrels of oil.

"By doubling the hybrid fleet and committing to purchasing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, GSA is leveraging our position as the government's centralized supplier to invest in emerging clean energy technologies, increase the government fleet's fuel economy, and decrease the cost of government operations," said Martha Johnson, administrator of General Services. "GSA is committed to delivering solutions that help agencies deliver on the president's call to increase sustainability and energy security."

One federal agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, plans to replace 753 less-fuel-efficient vehicles with hybrids this year. That acquisition will bring the total number of hybrid vehicles at the department to 888, even as the department begins to reduce the overall size of its fleet.

Last year, the GSA used $300 million in stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to buy 17,600 energy-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles.

An executive order signed by the president last October calls for federal agencies to increase energy efficiency and reduce fleet petroleum consumption.

GSA manages 11 percent of the government's total procurement dollars and $24 billion in federal assets, including 213,000 vehicles and 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings.

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