The Obama administration announced yesterday that it has instructed federal agencies to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles in an effort to meet national energy and environmental goals.

U.S. Present Barack Obama is ordering government agencies to buy cars like the Ford Fiesta, Chevy Cruze and Chevy Volt instead of full-sized cars like the Ford Taurus or Chevy Impala. These instructions are aimed to reduce U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025 from 2008's import levels, and to place 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the roads by 2015.

The U.S. government plans to buy 116 plug-in electric vehicles as part of its fleet efficiency effort. Of the 116 plug-in's, 101 will be Chevy Volts, which will be made in Detroit, while the other 15 will be battery electric Nissan Leafs and Think City electric models. These environmentally friendly models will join the government's 600,000-vehicle fleet.

There are exceptions to the rule, though. Obama noted in a memo that federal agencies are not to buy full-size sedans unless absolutely necessary, and said that government employees can continue using full-sized SUV's that can run on alternative fuels like E85. But those using larger vehicles six months from now will have to post that they do so on their websites. 

In addition, Obama suggested that optional equipment should be limited unless it is vital to agency missions. Exceptions will be made for vehicles used for military tactical operations, emergency response and law enforcement. 

The new electric vehicle pilot program will equip 20 government agencies in five cities with these vehicles. All branches of the U.S. military as well as the Energy Department and Veterans Administration will take part in the program, and the five chosen cities will be Detroit, Washington D.C., San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition, 100 charging stations will be placed at federal buildings in Michigan, California and Washington D.C.

The government hopes to encourage U.S. citizens to adopt environmentally friendly vehicles by leading by example. According to government estimates, replacing some of the government fleet with these electric vehicles will reduce government fuel consumption by 7.7 million gallons, which equates to 385,000 barrels of oil. Obama hopes to have most government vehicles purchased in 2015 be environmentally friendly vehicles.