In what should be a shot in the arm to the American auto industry, the White House announced Thursday that it would speed up the purchase of thousands of new, more fuel-efficient vehicles from the Big Three automakers to add to the federal fleet. Automotive News reports:
 

The federal government will buy about 17,600 fuel-efficient vehicles from the Detroit 3 by June 1, including 2,500 hybrid sedans by April 15, a White House statement said today.

The purchases for the federal fleet will use $285 million of the $300 million that Congress appropriated in its economic recovery act to buy new vehicles with better fuel economy. The act says the government must use the money by Sept. 30, 2011.

By replacing older vehicles with more fuel-efficient ones, the federal government expects to save more than a million gallons of gasoline per year. In a press release, Gov. Granholm praised the move:

“This is good news for the American auto companies and the hundreds of thousands of families who rely on those companies for their livelihoods. Bolstering sales at these companies is the best way to protect jobs. I’m pleased that President Obama is choosing to buy American for the U.S. government and that he recognizes that our American workers turn out great, fuel-efficient products. Any increase in sales is – in the end – good for Michigan.”