Biden Calls for All Federal Fleet Purchases to be ZEVs by 2035

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the federal government to acquire 100% zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035, including 100% zero-emission light-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2027 — among other commitments to achieve zero emissions by 2050.

The federal government will work with American vehicle, battery, and charging equipment manufacturers and installers to transform the federal fleet into the largest zero-emission vehicle fleet in the nation, according to a White House fact sheet.

The White House highlighted several examples of federal fleet electrification:

• In early 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin field testing the Ford Mustang Mach-E ZEV for use in its law enforcement fleet, which currently consists of over 30,000 vehicles.
• In 2021, the Department of the Interior (DOI) began transitioning its fleet of U.S. Park Police lightweight motorcycles and dirt bikes to 100% ZEVs at its Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco locations, with plans to reach a 100 ZEV fleet by 2025.
• In 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England’s Boston Healthcare System partnered with National Grid on a plan to transition its 70-car fleet to ZEVs. Consistent with National Grid’s recommendations, VA is working with the General Services Administration to procure approximately 25 ZEVs in the 2022 acquisition cycle.