According to a report shared by Electrek, the US could save $6 billion over 15 years if it simply transitioned its entire US federal fleet to fully electric cars. We're only taking about 650,000 vehicles, which include civilian, military, and fleets operating overseas.
The research comes from the global research firm ICF Climate Center. We always have to keep in mind that each agency putting together a study may have a certain interest in mind that would benefit them. This isn't to say the data is false, just that the narrative attached to it could push in one direction or another.
At any rate, it costs about $4.5 billion to run 650,000 US federal fleet vehicles that cover about 4 billion miles annually. A nice chunk of that covers some 367 million gallons of gas. This is because less than 1 percent of the federal fleet vehicles are EVs or PHEVs, so only about 4,300 in total.
The Biden Administration aims to get to a point by 2035 that all new vehicles sold are 100 percent electric, or emissions-free. This goal includes the federal fleet, but what if our government could make it happen sooner rather than later?
If the entire fleet was replaced with EVs starting in 2024, it would cost $33.5 billion to purchase the vehicles. Meanwhile, it would cost about $30 billion to stick with gas. The EV fleet would only cost $5.5 billion to maintain compared to the nearly $10 billion it costs for the gas fleet.
That said, the biggest difference comes down to the fuel costs. The research estimates that it would cost about $2.5 billion per year to charge the EVs. Gassing up the gassers costs nearly $9 billion. The EV fleet would need a one-time $1 billion investment in charging stations.
ICF says based on its numbers that a deal like this could reach a break-even point by 2028, and it will save the country money. Not only would we be removing 1.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from our air annually, but also saving some $1.2 billion in related areas, such as social costs related to carbon, health costs, crop damage, floods, fires, etc. And, this is all on top of the $6 billion saved over 15 years.
