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The federal General Services Administration (GSA) plans to buy 116 plug-in electric cars, including 100 Chevrolet Volts. The purchase is one step in the process to boost the fuel efficiency of federal government fleets, including the 600,000 vehicles that are under GSA control. The vehicles will be leased to 20 agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy.

GSA’s video, “Bringing Electric Cars to Government,” shows the Volt and other electric cars that are being added to federal fleets.

To power the cars, 100 car-charging stations will be installed at federal buildings in five metro areas, including Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington.

GSA conducted an open competitive process to request bids from all vendors who could offer electric vehicles that meet Federal Vehicle Standards and comply with applicable statutes and regulations. Offers were evaluated using four factors: technical capability, management capability, past performance and price. Contracts were awarded for Chevrolet, Nissan, and Think City vehicles. As the GSA’s electric car pilot program continues, other companies may bid to become eligible for future supplier contracts.

With the electric cars, federal agency gasoline use will be reduced by about 29,000 gallons a year, estimated GSA Administrator Martha Johnson. She said the reduced consumption could save federal agency fleets up to $116,000. The plug-in vehicles, said Johnson, also will help the federal fleet reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 253 tons.

“Diversifying our transportation fleet with hybrids, electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles is a critical element in President Obama’s long-term plan to break our dependence on foreign oil and invest in America’s growing clean energy economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a statement. “The initiatives under way by the federal government and national leaders in the private sector to reduce the use of oil and gasoline in our fleets will help to spur U.S. innovation, create good jobs for American workers, and achieve President Obama’s goal of reducing U.S. oil imports by one-third in a little more than a decade.”

Last year, GSA doubled the federal hybrid fleet without increasing the total number of fleet vehicles. The resulting improvement in fleet fuel efficiency will reduce petroleum consumption by the equivalent of an estimated 7.7 million gallons of gasoline, or 385,000 barrels of oil.