Obama to double Fed hybrid fleet

The Obama administration has announced that it will replace older cars in its fleet with fuel-effficient hybrids and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, a move designed to cut carbon dioxide and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

The U.S. General Services Administration will double the hybrid fleet in 2010, and said it will buy 100 plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2011. The announcement is part of an effort to cut the federal government's fleet petroleum use by 30% by 2020.

Using existing funds, the Feds will replace 5,603 of its least fuel-efficient cars and trucks, saving an estimated 7.7 million gallons of gas, or 385,000 barrels of oil.

The government wants to lead by example, said Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "These types of clean-energy investments will help create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build market capacity and foster innovation in clean-energy industries," she said.

Photo of plug-in car by AP/Elaine Thompson.