Dec 17 (Reuters) - U.S. government agencies failed to

meet government fleet electric vehicle purchase targets, a

Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday said.

The report said in the 2023 budget year, agencies bought

mostly gas-powered vehicles and bought just 5,500 total EVs --

60% of 11 agencies' combined targets of 9,500.

President Joe Biden in December 2021 issued an executive

order directing the government to end purchases of gas-powered

vehicles by 2035 and that 100% of light-duty federal

acquisitions by 2027 be electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.