GSA Expands Hybrid Fleet ‘Up to 10,000 Vehicles’

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GSAThe US General Services Administration says it will expand the number of hybrid vehicles in the federal fleet by up to 10,000 vehicles, resulting in the reduction of about 1 million gallons of fuel per year for the life of these vehicles.

The GSA fleet consolidation initiative moves the federal government closer toward its goal of buying 100 percent light-duty alternative-fuel vehicles by the end of 2015, a GSA spokesperson tells Environmental Leader.

As of the end of fiscal year 2012, 79 percent of GSA’s internal fleet vehicles were alternative fuel vehicles. This initiative will help federal agencies transition to green cars at a time when they may not be able to purchase and operate these vehicles on their own, the spokesperson says.

Purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles by President Barack Obama’s administration fell by a third in 2012. Last year, in which it purchased 1,801 alternative fuel vehicles, was the third year in a row in which green car purchases fell, Bloomberg reported.

The federal government is moving towards a smaller, more efficient fleet, the GSA spokesperson says, adding that the agency will continue to improve management of the federal fleet while increasing the fuel efficiency of the vehicles GSA owns and leases to other federal agencies.

Through the new initiative, federal agencies can now consolidate vehicles into the GSA fleet inventory. If agencies choose to participate in the program, GSA will fund the total incremental cost to replace eligible consolidated vehicles with new hybrid sedans.

Consolidating with GSA fleet will also provide GSA’s federal partners with end-to-end fleet management services including vehicle acquisition and disposal, maintenance control and accident management, fuel and loss prevention services and a management system that provides data to efficiently manage fleet operations, at a low monthly rate, GSA says.

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