The federal government is picking up speed on its path toward an all-electric fleet. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has announced $25 million for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), or EV charging ports, at federal buildings across the country.
An initial planned spend of just over $20 million through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will support 32 projects across 21 states at 33 federal buildings. The 782 ports will help build a convenient and reliable EV charging network for the federal government’s EV fleet. (Remaining funds from the $25 million, if any, will go toward additional EVSE projects.)
According to the GSA, this investment furthers the goals outlined in President Joe Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which requires federal agencies to transition the largest fleet in the world to all-electric by acquiring 100% light-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) annually by 2027 and acquiring 100% medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs annually by 2035.
At the start of the Biden administration, the federal fleet included fewer than 2,000 ZEVs, out of 600,000 vehicles overall. Since then, the federal government has ordered over 58,000 ZEVs and has begun installing more than 25,000 charging ports, adding to the 8,000 already in use across the government.
“This $25 million Inflation Reduction Act investment helps us install the charging infrastructure that’s vital to our goal of transitioning the federal fleet—and the market overall—toward electric vehicles,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “Investments like these help us get a triple win by creating more jobs in the green economy, saving taxpayer dollars through increased efficiency of federal operations, and creating healthier communities all across the country.”
In January, the GSA chose its first two authorized EVSE vendors, and the agency is working to authorize six more later this year. A list of the newly announced charging projects is available here.
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