The Obama administration announced it is buying the first 116 plug-in electric cars and will install charging stations in government buildings in five cities.
The 101 Chevrolet Volts, 10 Nissan Leafs and five Think City EVs will be leased to 20 agencies, including the Energy Department, the Treasury Department and the Navy, in five cities— Detroit, Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The government is expected to install about 100 charging stations at federal buildings in California, Washington, D.C., and Michigan.
The purchases are part of a pilot project aimed at advancing President Obama’s goal of having 1 million EVs on the road by 2015.
The government, which negotiates car-purchase prices, is paying $38,500 for each Volt, $33,000 for the Leaf, and about $32,500 for the Think City cars, according to the GSA. While that’s lower than the Volt’s $41,000 suggested retail price, federal agencies don’t qualify for a $7,500 tax credit for plug-in cars bought by individuals.
The purchases are expected to cut gas usage by almost 29,000 gallons annually, saving taxpayers an estimated $116,000 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 257 metric tons, said GSA administrator Martha Johnson.
The government operates more than 600,000 fleet vehicles.
Last year, the government purchased 23,000 more fuel-efficient vehicles for the federal fleet, including almost 9,000 hybrid-electric cars.
