As part of a broader federal campaign to promote the transition to green energy and create 1 million new jobs in the auto industry and corresponding supply chains, the US federal government has announced plans to transition all government vehicles to all-electric models.
Announced earlier this week, the commitment is part of the Made in America executive order and aims to support American automakers that have diverse electric vehicle portfolios including passenger cars, commercial vans, and light trucks. As of 2019, the US government has more than 645,000 vehicles in its fleet including 224,000 passenger vehicles and more than 412,000 trucks.
The transition is no easy feat, and many federal vehicles are leased from private companies, complicating the promise. However, the conversion of all these postal trucks, transportation cars, maintenance vans, and more would not only greatly reduce the emissions from federal operations, but also incentivizes domestic car companies to expand EV options and sends the message that the US is ready to embrace an all-electric transportation future.
