Just months after the federal government bailed out ailing U.S. automakers, it's lining up as a major customer. President Obama this month announced a plan to purchase more than 17,000 American-made green cars to replace aging vehicles in the government's fleet. The hybrid and other alternative fuel cars won't literally be green ... well, at least we don't think so.
Going green is a laudable idea here, even if gas prices are again on the decline. It's smart government to spend less on gasoline, while simultaneously helping reduce carbon emissions.
The showroom shopping spree will be funded from the $787 billion stimulus bill and cost roughly $285 million. The General Services Administration will sign the papers on the cars, which the administration said will be purchased by June 1. No word on who gets to pick the vanity plates.
Obama stated that he ordered the speedy purchase “to increase demand for our American auto companies and stimulate the economy… This is only a first step, but I will continue to ensure that we are working to support the American auto industry during this difficult period of restructuring."
The government will be buying its green cars Big Three carmakers in Detroit. GM and Chrysler are the recipients of over $17 million in government loans, while Ford has yet to accept any federal bailout funds.
"By swapping out less efficient federal vehicles for new hybrid and
fuel-efficient ones, this strategy will reduce gasoline consumption by
1.3 million gallons per year and prevent 26 million pounds of carbon
dioxide from entering the atmosphere," the White House said in a
statement.
Just what defines a "green" car? Commonly, it's one powered by biodiesel, “veggie oil” or a hybrid-electric motor. But there doesn’t appear to be a big list of criteria for the current buy, other than the cars must have a fuel efficiency that's 10 percent or greater than the ones they're replacing.
The Environmental Protection Agency compiles ratings on green vehicles in a number of areas including air pollution, fuel economy (both city and highway driving), and greenhouse gas emissions. Some American cars that rank well are the Ford Escape and Escape hybrid, Chevy Aveo, Ford Focus and Chrysler Sebring.
A number of others have decent green ratings but aren't exactly going to save the planet. The GMC Yukon, which can run on ethanol, gets 11 miles to the gallon in
city driving, a far cry from the industry leading hybrid Toyota Prius which gets an estimated 48 mpg in the city. It will be interesting to see how green the cars the government buys will be.
Greening the fleet
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