As a fleet manager, you are charged with taking steps to reduce the environmental impact and petroleum consumption of your fleet.

What Is Required?

• Federal fleet management efforts are driven by four important mandates—Executive Order (EO) 13423, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 -- each with specific requirements.
  
  
  • EO 13423 (Section 2G) aims to ensure that the federal government demonstrates leadership in reducing fuel consumption through improvements in fuel efficiency and use of alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) and alternative fuels. Relative to a baseline of fiscal year 2005, it requires agencies to:
    
    
    • Reduce their fleets' total consumption of petroleum products by 2 percent annually.
      
      
    • Increase the total fuel consumption that is non-petroleum-based by 10 percent annually.
      
      
    • Use plug-in hybrid vehicles when they are commercially available and priced comparably with conventional vehicles.
    
    This subsumes EO 13149, Greening the Government Through Federal Fleet and Transportation Efficiency.(6 pp, 42.3KB About PDF).
    
    
  • Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (8 pp, 253KB About PDF) expanded EPAct of 2005.
    
    
  • The EPAct of 1992 set forth the statutory requirements for acquisition of AFVs by federal agencies, requiring that 75 percent of new vehicles must be AFVs.
    
    
  • The EPAct of 2005 set requirement for federal fleets.

• Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies: Energy and Fuel Conservation by Federal Agencies. Issued in September 2005, this memorandum directs the heads of executive agencies to conserve natural gas, electricity, gasoline, and diesel fuel to the maximum extent possible.
  
  
• EPA’s Agency-wide objectives and targets for 2008–2010 under its EMS program (6 pp, 72KB About PDF)

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What Actions Can I Take?

• Reduce fuel usage by increasing the fuel efficiency of your fleets.
  
  
• Increase procurement and use of alternative-fuel vehicles that run on fuels such as biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, or propane.
  
  
• Hold in-person green meetings and teleconferences rather than driving to and from meetings and other events.
  
  
• Encourage the use of public transportation rather than fleet vehicle use when possible.
  
  
• Encourage employees to travel together in fleet vehicles rather than in separate cars.
  
  
• Ensure that fleet vehicles are kept in optimal condition, with tires inflated and engines running properly, to ensure maximum fuel efficiency.
  
  
• Do not waste fuel by letting fleet vehicles idle unnecessarily.

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Which Resources Can I Use?

• The Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center is a collection of information on alternative fuels such as biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas and propane, and the vehicles that use them. The site includes extensive resources, such as a database of more than 3,000 documents, an interactive fuel station mapping system, current listings of available alternative-fuel vehicles and other information and links. Highlights include:
  
  
  • Vehicle Make and Model Search
    
    
  • State and Federal Incentives and Laws
    
    
  • Alternative Fueling Station Locator
    
    
  • Publications Search
    
    
• General Services Administration (GSA) has a number of helpful sites:
  
  
• Vehicles and Fleet Management Web page details GSA's vehicle management support: vehicle acquisition, asset management, maintenance and repair, fuel, accident management, and vehicle remarketing.
  
  
• Guide to Federal Fleet Management, a comprehensive training and education guide for federal fleet managers and fleet professionals at all levels in motor vehicle fleet management.
  
  
• Information on Alternative-Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) summarizes AFVs available through GSA.
  
  
• Alternative-Fuel Vehicles and Biodiesel Guides and Manuals are GSA's downloadable publications.
  
  
• FedCenter.gov Transportation Web page addresses vehicle fleet management, which includes optimizing vehicle maintenance operations, biofuels, pollution prevention tools and techniques, and used oil.
  
  
• Office of the Federal Environmental Executive’s Green Purchasing Web page on AFVs gives general requirements and references.
  
  
• EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide Web Site - Anyone can use this guide to choose the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs.

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What Training Is Available?

You can learn more about greening your fleet through trainings such as:

• DOE's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center Trainings lists training available for fleet managers, technicians, operators, purchasers and other persons involved with AFVs.
  


• Defense Energy Support Center Tutorials on Alternative Fuels includes five tutorials.

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How Is EPA Making Strides In Greening Its Fleets?

• Already, more than 30 percent of EPA's vehicles are alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) or other advanced technology vehicles (i.e., hybrids, hydrogen-fueled).
  
  
• To learn more about the Agency’s efforts to green its fleets, visit the Greening EPA Web site or EPA’s Fiscal Year 2007 Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition Report (16 pp, 193KB About PDF).
  
  
• EPA’s goals under Executive Order 13423 include exceeding the minimum 75 percent AFV acquisition rate and increasing the fuel economy of new vehicle acquisitions by:
  
  
  • Substituting smaller-class vehicles for larger ones;
    
    
  • Substituting more fuel-efficient models for less efficient ones within the same class; and
    
    
  • Acquiring more advanced-technology vehicles (hybrids, fuel-cell cars, etc.).

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What Are Other Agencies Doing?

Agency-Specific Information

• Department of Agriculture - Alternative Fuels and Fleet Efficiency describes USDA's program and its resources.
  
  
• Department of Homeland Security - Fleet Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program Reports
  
  
• Department of the Interior's Web site describes its Alternative Fueled Vehicles program.
  
  
• Department of Labor (DOL) - The Fleet Management Web page describes DOL's program.
  
  
• Department of State - Alternative Fuel Vehicle Web page reports on its efforts to meet federal requirements.
  
  
• Department of Transportation - Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition Report for Fiscal Year 2006
  
  
• Department of Veterans Affairs - Alternative Fuel Vehicles Annual Report
  
  
• U.S. Postal Service - Alternative Fuels Program (16 pp, 855KB About PDF) presentation.
  
  
• General Services Administration programs for federal vehicles.

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