Federal Energy and Fleet Management: Plug-in Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, but High Costs and Limited Information Could Hinder Integration...

This Government Accountability Office Report dated June 2009 (GAO-09-493) finds that Plug-ins will be expensive relative to other vehicles until battery costs come down and challenges such as achieving economies of scale are met. These high upfront costs will prevent agencies from including plug-ins in large numbers in their fleets without additional funding. Furthermore, agencies will also be hindered from incorporating plug-ins because of uncertainties regarding their performance, the maintenance and reliability associated with the vehicles’ batteries, and the resale value of the vehicles. Exploring the option of leasing the vehicles directly from manufacturers could help mitigate these risks and allow agencies to experiment with how well the vehicles perform within their fleet.