by Brianna Crandall — July 13, 2011—Furthering the Obama Administration’s goal to cut U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced July 5 that six new corporate partners have joined the National Clean Fleets Partnership. The new partners—Coca-Cola, Enterprise Holdings, General Electric, OSRAM SYLVANIA, Ryder, and Staples—operate a total of nearly a million commercial vehicles nationwide. In addition to the new members, the partnership includes charter members AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, UPS and Verizon.
The National Clean Fleets Partnership, announced by President Obama in April, is a public-private partnership that helps large companies reduce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures into their daily operations. This announcement represents a major step towards reducing fuel use and achieving greater efficiency and cost-savings for the nation’s largest commercial vehicle fleets.
The National Clean Fleets Partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of clean, advanced, energy-efficient vehicles and the infrastructure to support their widespread use in communities nationwide. Under the partnership, each company will work with DOE to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce petroleum and diesel use in their fleets. DOE will also help connect partners with clean fuel providers and equipment manufacturers where their fleets operate.
The partnership is part of the DOE Vehicle Technology Program’s Clean Cities initiative. DOE provides partners with specialized resources, technical expertise, and support, aiding companies’ efforts to achieve greater fleet efficiency and cost savings, such as by providing assistance in pursuing group purchasing rates. DOE also offers technical tools to help partner companies navigate the world of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles. A diverse collection of cost calculators, interactive maps, customizable database searches, and mobile applications puts vital information and analysis at fleets’ fingertips.
