Government agencies in the United States are reportedly planning to acquire 9,500 electric vehicles this year, Reuters reports citing the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Remarkably, that figure is nearly three times the number of EVs bought in the previous budget year. However, a federal report cited supply issues and higher costs.
26 agencies secured EV acquisition plan approval
The GAO reported that 26 US government agencies planning to acquire EVs this year would require more than $470 million for the purchase and nearly $300 million to develop and deploy charging infrastructures and for other related expenses.
These estimated costs are nearly $200 million more expensive compared to their lowest-priced gasoline-powered vehicle counterpart.
It is also worth noting that government agencies account for over 99% of the federal vehicle fleet. This percentage does not include the US Postal Service (USPS) as it is an independent federal entity.
Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has yet to comment on this report.
EV acquisition plan aligns with President Biden’s EO
US government agencies struggle to acquire as many electric cars as they need due to supply issues and higher costs. In fact, the Transportation Department informed GAO about its initial plan of ordering 430 zero-emission vehicles for the budget year 2022. Unfortunately, that number dropped to 292 units party due to automakers’ order cancellations.
Meanwhile, some are still reluctant to the idea of transitioning to more sustainable and cost-effective transportation. For instance, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials warned GAO that they doubt EVs’ capability if it can “can support law enforcement equipment or perform law enforcement missions in extreme environments, such as those on the borders.”
Despite such opposition, the government agencies’ EV acquisition plan aligns with President Joe Biden’s executive order from December 2021 that mandates the government to stop gas-powered vehicle acquisition by 2035. Moreover, it demands the government to have EVs or plug-in hybrids account for 100% of its light-duty acquisitions by 2027.
Biden’s order consists of 380,000 federal vehicles and purchases of various government agencies that usually acquire 45,000 new vehicles per year, excluding the USPS.
See Also:
- Light EV fleet surged to 83,000 units in Australia in 2022; BEVs accounted for 79%
- US EV sales: Hyundai beats GM, Tesla sustains its lead
- Blink wins USPS contract and launches revolutionary Mobile EV Charger!
- US Postal Service awards Ford with a contract for the purchase of 9,250 Ford E-Transit
- Maryland recently introduced the largest electric school bus fleet in the US
The green mobility push in the US is indeed evident as government agencies aim to buy a substantial number of sustainable EVs as early as this year, demonstrating a major step towards a cleaner transportation future for the country.
