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Hybrid Vehicles Added to Fleets of Three Federal Agencies

Release Date: 06/25/2007
Contact Information: Dale Armstrong, (913) 551-7316, [email protected]

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., June 25, 2007) – Three Kansas City area federal agencies added new Saturn hybrid vehicles to their fleets Monday.

Two vehicles were delivered by the federal General Services Administration (GSA) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 office in Kansas City, Kan. One is for EPA and one for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in Kansas City, Mo. A third will be added to the GSA fleet in Kansas City, Mo.

Romell Cooks, regional administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Central Region, received the keys to a new hybrid Saturn. “While safety of the motoring public is a key concern of the NHTSA, we are equally concerned about the fuel efficiency of our passenger cars and light trucks,” Cooks said. “These types of vehicles will make a difference.”

GSA ordered 50 Saturn Aura Green Line vehicles this year to be delivered nationwide. The Saturn Aura Green Line hybrids are assembled at the General Motor's Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kan.

Executive Order 13423, signed by President Bush in January, directs federal agencies to increase alternative fuel use by 10 percent each year. GSA’s fleet management division has delivered 3,581 bi-fuel and 20 biodiesel vehicles to regional federal agencies.

EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew accepted the vehicle for the environmental agency. Askew said, “Using fuel efficient vehicles like the Saturn hybrid we’re receiving today just makes sense. Not only does it protect the environment by reducing emissions, but using less fuel strengthens our energy security.”

GSA Heartland Region Administrator Bradley M. Scott said, “GSA is proud to join EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as government leaders in using and supporting environmentally friendly vehicles, and we look forward to providing energy efficient vehicles and alternative fuel-use cars to more federal agencies in the future.”

Executive Order 13423 also directs federal agencies with more than 20 motor vehicles to reduce petroleum consumption by 2 percent annually through 2015. The Saturn Aura’s estimated fuel mileage is 35 miles per gallon.