Autos

Biden’s Push for Mandatory EV Usage Among Government Employees Sparks Debate

Author: Madison Cates January 15, 2024January 15, 2024

President Joe Biden continues to champion his electric vehicle (EV) agenda by urging federal employees to embrace EVs and sustainable travel options. In a directive released on Thursday, the White House called on government workers to prioritize electric vehicles, trains, and other eco-friendly modes of transportation for official business.

Promoting Electric Vehicle Adoption

The White House directive emphasizes the importance of renting EVs for official travel when their costs are equal to or less than comparable gas-powered vehicles, provided charging infrastructure is accessible. This move aligns with President Biden’s vision to expand the use of electric cars across the United States.

Shifting to Rail for Short Trips

Federal workers have also been encouraged to opt for train travel for trips covering distances of fewer than 250 miles when it is both cost-effective and feasible, rather than taking domestic flights. This directive aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with air travel.

To further minimize the carbon footprint, the directive advises federal employees to refrain from using private vehicles for official travel whenever possible. Instead, they are encouraged to use electric vehicle ride-sharing services such as Lyft and Uber or opt for public transit options.

Environmental and Economic Impact

The federal government’s travel expenses are substantial, with U.S. government employees spending $2.8 billion on official travel in 2022. This included over 2.8 million flights, 2.3 million vehicle rentals, and 33,000 rail trips. Federal travel contributes to 1.8% of federal greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the significance of this initiative.

Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, underscored the potential benefits, stating, “The federal government will save taxpayers money, reduce emissions, strengthen our growing electric vehicle industry and create good-paying union jobs.”

EV Procurement Goals

This directive aligns with President Biden’s earlier executive order issued in December 2021, which called for the cessation of purchasing gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Furthermore, it mandated that all light-duty federal acquisitions by 2027 should consist of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

As of now, the federal government has acquired more than 14,000 zero-emission vehicles and installed 5,500 charging ports. This reflects significant progress toward the administration’s sustainability goals.

The Path Forward for Electric Vehicles

President Biden’s ambition to see 50% of all new vehicles be EVs by 2030 has substantial support from automakers. The federal government’s commitment to EV adoption, coupled with the directive for its employees, signals a determined effort to transform transportation toward a greener and more sustainable future.

While the transition to EVs and sustainable travel methods may pose challenges, it underscores the administration’s commitment to environmental stewardship, job creation, and cost savings.

Author: Madison Cates

Title: Managing Editor

Bio:

Research journalist, Freelance writer, Managing editor

Expertise: automotive content, trending topics.
Education: LeTourneau University, Bachelors of Science in Business Administration.
Over 400 articles and short news pieces published across the web.

Experience: Madison Cates is a journalist located in the great state of Texas. She began writing over eight years ago. Her first major research piece was published by the Journal of Business and Economics in 2018. After growing up in a household of eight brothers and a dad who was always restoring old Camaros, she naturally pivoted her freelance career into the automotive industry. There, she found her passion. Her experience paved the way for her to work with multiple large corporations in automotive news and trending topics. Now, she now finds her home at Wealth of Geeks where she proudly serves as Managing Editor of Autos. Madison is always down to geek out over the latest beautiful cars on the market, and she enjoys providing her readers with tips to make car ownership easier and more enjoyable.

Autos

Volkswagen Goes For Electric Pitstop With Plug-In Hybrids

Author: Max McDee January 15, 2024January 15, 2024

Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"> <title>flipboard</title> <path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path> </svg>" xlink:href="# flipboard “> Share on Flip it President Joe Biden continues to champion his electric vehicle (EV) agenda by urging federal employees…

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Autos

Biden’s Push for Mandatory EV Usage Among Government Employees Sparks Debate

Promoting Electric Vehicle Adoption

Shifting to Rail for Short Trips

Environmental and Economic Impact

EV Procurement Goals

The Path Forward for Electric Vehicles

Author: Madison Cates

Title: Managing Editor

Bio:

Research journalist, Freelance writer, Managing editor

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Promoting Electric Vehicle Adoption

Shifting to Rail for Short Trips

Environmental and Economic Impact

EV Procurement Goals

The Path Forward for Electric Vehicles

Author: Madison Cates

Title: Managing Editor

Bio:

Research journalist, Freelance writer, Managing editor

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