Energy Department adds Coca-Cola, GE and others to ‘clean fleets’ program

The Energy Department said Tuesday that the partnership will build on steps the companies have already begun taking to transition their fleets and implement oil-saving policies.

The charter members of the program — which provides technical and research assistance and other aid — are AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon.

The White House and other advocates of alternative fuels and vehicles see commercial trucking and auto fleets as a major opportunity to implement oil-savings measures.

The centralized management of corporate and municipal fleets is helpful when adopting new technologies, advocates say.

There are more than three million commercial fleet vehicles on U.S. roads that together used almost four billion gallons of fuel in 2009, according to the White House.