President Obama directed federal agencies Tuesday to move toward buying – by 2015 – only alternative-fuel cars and light-duty trucks and to start with a pilot program of more than 100 electric vehicles.

“Diversifying our transportation fleet with hybrids, electric vehicles and other alternative-fuel vehicles is a critical element in President Obama’s long-term plan to break our dependence on foreign oil and invest in America’s growing clean energy economy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in the announcement.

Chu said Obama’s new memorandum will help meet the president’s goal of cutting oil imports by one-third by 2025, putting 1 million advanced vehicles on the road by 2015 and reducing petroleum use 30% by 2020.

General Services Administrator Martha Johnson, joined by Chu and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, announced the GSA will begin leasing more than 100 EVs to 20 agencies – including the Department of Energy – and will work with them to establish fueling and recharging stations.

GSA said it requested bids via an open, competitive process and has awarded contracts to Chevrolet, Nissan and Think City vehicles. As its pilot program progresses, it said other companies may bid to become eligible for future purchases.

The agency said it doubled the federal hybrid fleet last year without increasing the total number of vehicles, and as a result, saved the equivalent of about 7.7 million gallons of gasoline or 385,000 barrels of oil. DOE said it reduced its overall fleet while expanding its use of electric vehicles.