by Brianna Crandall — June 1, 2011—The Obama Administration announced on May 24 a major step in furthering its stated goals to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025, to put one million advanced vehicles on the road by 2015, and to cut costs associated with fuel consumption: President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum directing agencies to implement government-wide fleet management practices that will ensure the federal government is leading by example.
Implementation of these new requirements will move the government to 100 percent alternative fuel vehicle purchases by 2015 and drive agencies to meet the required 30 percent decrease in petroleum consumption by 2020 under Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance signed by President Obama in October 2009.
In conjunction with the memorandum, the General Services Administration (GSA) launched a pilot project to incorporate electric vehicles and technologies into the federal fleet, announcing an initial purchase of over 100 electric vehicles. These vehicles will be leased to 20 agencies, including the Department of Energy, and will be located in Washington, DC; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; and San Francisco, CA. GSA will also coordinate with these agencies to establish necessary infrastructure for fueling and recharging.
