The General Services Administration (GSA) has been an advocate for greener technologies within the federal government. The GSA oversees efficiency efforts within 8,600 federal properties including smart lighting, recycling and decreased supply use. This agency also maintains a catalog of more than 10,000 eco-friendly supplies for federal offices from coast to coast. The GSA is even efficient in its use of public funds, only requiring 2% of its budget from Congress thanks to revenues from contracts and building rentals.
Administrators in the GSA are also interested in improving fuel efficiency in its 210,000-vehicle fleet. The first step is to lease 5,600 hybrid vehicles to interested agencies. These hybrids were purchased with funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 as well as departmental funds. More than a quarter of newly acquired hybrids were paid for using proceeds from vehicle auctions. GSA officials have noted that 100 plug-in hybrids and three electric vehicles were purchased this fiscal year.
The early leader in GSA hybrid leases is the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE officials want to demonstrate that the agency is matching its language about green vehicles with a more eco-friendly fleet. The DOE has thus far procured 753 hybrids from the GSA to start toward a completely hybrid fleet by 2013. These hybrids include a Honda insight, 145 Ford Escapes, 273 Chevy Silverados and 334 Ford Fusions.
Another department showing interest in leasing GSA hybrids is the United States Army. The GSA has received a single Enova Systems all-electric van from its 2010 order. The United States Army leased this $100,000 van as a mixed-used vehicle for the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. The constant demand for on-base transportation means that the Armed Forces could eventually be the GSA’s biggest client.
The biggest issue facing the GSA’s efforts to hybridize the federal vehicle fleet is cost. The Enova Systems van costs $100,000 compared to $20,000 for a similar van powered by gasoline. GSA officials note that the Ford Fusion hybrid costs $11,214 more per unit than the 2010 Chrysler Avenger used in the current fleet. The ambitious purchase made by GSA this year may not be matched over the next few years due to continued federal programs dealing with a lagging economy. The best selling tool for the GSA would be rave reviews from the DOE, U.S. Army and other participants in this lease program.
