The Obama administration has announced it will be adding 17,600 Detroit Three-made vehicles to government fleets by June 1st. The move will pump $285 million into the pocket books of the Big Three, while simultaneous giving government fleets a more fuel-efficient lineup.
The Obama administration announced on Thursday that it will carve the $285 million for new vehicles out of its $787 billion stimulus bill. The plan also includes the purchase of 2,500 hybrid sedans by April 15th.
“The problems that caused this economic crisis weren’t created in a day, and it will take time and hard work to get our economy back on track,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “But I am 100 percent committed to a strong American auto industry, and we will stand with America’s auto workers and their families during these difficult times.”
Under the plan, the government will exclusively buy vehicles from Chrysler , General Motors and Ford , according to The Detroit News. The plan requires new vehicles to achieve 10 percent better fuel economy than the models they replace which, according to the White House, will save 1.3 million gallons of fuel and 26 million pound of CO2 per year.
Additionally, the government will invest $15 million in pilot programs that support green technologies such as compressed natural gas and hybrid-powered buses.
The Obama administrations originally planned to spend $600 million on the bill, but it was whittled down to a final figure of $300 million.
