Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs)
Federal Agencies are mandated by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct), Executive Order 13423, and the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) to purchase alternative fuel vehicles, increase consumption of alternative fuels, and to reduce petroleum consumption. Federal fleets are required to obtain 75 percent of their light-duty annual acquisitions as AFVs in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Vehicles acquired outside of the MSAs also count towards an agency’s percentage, but are not required. Section 301 of EPACT defines alternative fuels as:
- Methanol
- Denatured alcohol
- Mixtures containing up to 85 percent methanol or denatured ethanol
- Natural gas
- Propane (liquefied petroleum gas)
- Biodiesel
- Hydrogen
- Electricity
In addition, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 expanded the definition of an alternative fuel vehicle to include:
- Fuel cell vehicles
- Advanced lean burn technology vehicles
- Hybrid electric vehicles
- "Any other type of vehicle that the agency demonstrates to the Secretary would achieve a significant reduction in petroleum consumption."
For more information, please see the Department of Energy’s guidance document .
GSA Fleet has been providing quality AFVs to the federal community since 1991. GSA has purchased over 143,000 AFVs for its customers, making GSA Fleet one of the largest AFV fleets in the United States. Currently, GSA Fleet has over 80,000 AFVs in its inventory.
The shortcut to this page is www.gsa.gov/afv.
Last Reviewed 2/10/2009