President Biden commits to converting government fleet to electric vehicles

It hasn’t taken long for the new US President to make some monumental changes that will flow through the global automotive industry.

US President Joe Biden has signalled he’s serious about climate change by vowing to replace petrol vehicles with electric ones across the US government’s roughly 650,000-strong fleet, according to reports.

No timeline was given on when the swap would be completed, but the President said all the vehicles must be American made.

The project could cost about $US20b according to Reuters, but it would be a huge boost for the country’s struggling auto industry as currently only a handful of companies make electric cars in America including Tesla, Nissan and GM.

Tesla is one of the few companies, which builds electric cars in the US.

Biden vowed to create 1 million new jobs in the auto industry — including parts, supplies, electric vehicle charging and infrastructure.

The government’s vehicle fleet includes civilian, military and post office vehicles according to US publication, The Verge.

The move would have a massive impact on the emissions. In 2019 the US government used more than 1.4 billion litres of fuel as its fleet drove more than 7.2 billion km, according to the US General Service Administration.

President Biden wants to build more than half a million electric car charging stations.

Biden has vowed to build 550,000 electric vehicle charging stations to support the move to electric vehicles, according to Reuters.

The move by the US government to move its fleet to electric vehicles could have a world wide impact as it helps drive the production and take up of electric vehicles globally.

One of the biggest issues facing electric cars is the price, but production on such a large scale would help reduce the costs, making it easier for the average motorist to afford one.

Currently in Australia the cheapest electric car is the Chinese built MG ZS EV, which is priced at $43,990 drive-away and is at least $8000 cheaper than any EV on the market.

President Biden’s decision to move electric is coming at a critical time for the industry as many makers bring their first EVs to market.

The Chinese-built MG ZS EV is currently the cheapest electric car on sale in Australia.

Ford could be a big winner with electric versions of its Transit van and F-Series truck due in the coming years.

Japanese giant Toyota — which has a big manufacturing presence in the US — is also gearing up to release its first electric vehicle this year.

Hyundai Motor Group, which also includes Kia and luxury brand Genesis, is committing about $30b over the next decade to making electric cars in all shapes and sizes.

European manufacturers such as VW and Mercedes-Benz already have several vehicles in production thanks to Europe’s ever tightening emissions regulations.

There is also the US electric car start-up Rivian, which is expected to launch a zero-emission ute later this year. One of Rivian’s biggest investors is Amazon, which has a standing order for 100,000 electric delivery vans due to start production this year.

Originally published as President Biden commits to converting government fleet to electric vehicles