President Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday.
As of today, the government owns more than 650,000 vehicles.
50,000 are purchased annually.
The numbers are staggering. The US government manages a fleet of more than 650,000 vehicles. Every year, the fleet managers purchase 50,000 more vehicles to replace dated or damaged units. In 2020, the government spent an eye-watering $4.2 billion on maintaining and updating the fleet. Of that cost, $730 million were spent on fuel.
President Biden’s executive order will see the last of gasoline-powered or internal combustion engine vehicles removed from the fleet by 2035. To get there, a number of steps will be taken. By 2027, all new light-duty vehicles purchased by the government will of the zero-emission type. Some exceptions will be made for military and space vehicles.
The plan wants government operation emissions to drop by 65% by 2030. To achieve this goal, the energy consumed will come from carbon-free and non-polluting sources. According to Reuters, the final ICE vehicles will be retired from the fleet by 2035. The US government is looking to have net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (GM, Toyota, Volkswagen, and others) support President Biden’s efforts however the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity thinks the government should move faster.
