WASHINGTON – In conjunction with the Obama Administration’s memorandum requiring alternative-fuel vehicle purchases for the federal fleet, the General Services Administration (GSA) launched a pilot project to bring electric vehicles (EVs) into the fleet.

The GSA announced an initial purchase of 100 EVs, which it will lease to 20 agencies, including the Department of Energy, and will be located in Washington, DC; Detroit; Los Angeles; San Diego; and San Francisco. The GSA said it will also coordinate the installation of necessary charging stations for the pilot.

GSA conducted an open competitive bid process from vendors capable of providing EVs that meet Federal Vehicle Standards and meet statutory and regulatory requirements. The GSA awarded contracts for Chevrolet (the Volt), Nissan (the LEAF), and Think City vehicles. These vehicles are also now on the GSA Schedule. During the pilot program, other companies can bid to become eligible for future purchases.

As reported previously, the GSA doubled the size of the number of hybrid vehicles operating in the federal fleet without increasing its size. This reduced petroleum consumption by an estimated 7.7M gallons of gasoline, or 385,000 barrels of oil.