President Obama Orders 2,500 Hybrid Cars
Saturday, April 11th, 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama announced today that he will be ordering 2,500 hybrid vehicles for the U.S. General Service Administration made up of hybrid vehicles from GM, Ford and Chrysler by June 1. The purchase goal is fuel economy that’s 10 percent higher than the vehicle being replaced.
While auto sales have fallen 36 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to last year, the government’s purchase is still only symbolic, representing less than two-tenths of one percent of total US annual sales. But lawmakers from auto-industry states like Michigan and Ohio reacted with fervent support.
The first step will be an order for 2,500 hybrid sedans by April 15. Qualifying cars include the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, and the 2009 Saturn Aura Hybrid. The Ford Fusion Hybrid received excellent reviews and generated intense public interest, but the incremental mileage improvements of the Malibu and Aura mild hybrids have neither sparked much enthusiasm nor sold particularly well.
The total cost of $285 million would come from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill passed by Congress last month. A statement from the White House said the entire purchase will “reduce gasoline consumption by 1.3 million gallons per year and prevent 26 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.”
(Source) Hybridcars
Tags: auto industry, auto sales, carbon dioxide, economic stimulus bill, ford fusion, fuel economy, gasoline consumption, general service administration, gm ford, hybrid cars, hybrid sedans, hybrid vehicles, hybrids, saturn aura hybrid