US to Buy Transit Connect Electric

Now that the Obama plan to turn the federal fleet as green as possible by the middle of the decade is in motion, the General Services Administration (GSA), the organization in charge with running the US car pool, has begun ordering EVs and hybrids from where ever it can find them.

The latest addition to the federal electric car fleet will be the Ford Transit Connect Electric. To get its hand on these vehicles, the GSA signed a four-year agreement with the producer of the model, Azure Dynamics, which will see the Ford partner deliver an estimated $112 million worth of EV to the government agencies.

"We are extremely pleased that the Transit Connect Electric has received the GSA Contract Award, which is the first and most important step for government-related vehicle fleets to purchase this innovative EV van," said Scott Harrison, Azure Dynamics CEO.

 "As fuel prices continue to rise to near-record levels, the federal government's leadership in advancing alternative powered vehicles like Transit Connect Electric, will be critical to helping the government meet its goal of one million EV vehicles on the road by 2015."

Announced earlier in the year, the plan to turn the government fleet of cars green by the middle of the decade is based on the idea that all new vehicles, regardless of their type, purchased for official use will be hybrids, electric vehicles or other alternative-fuel vehicles.

The GSA has already begun purchasing such vehicles, the first recipient of an order being GM, who was asked to deliver the Volt PHEV. Finish manufacturer Think was also included in the initial order.