American Airlines has become the first airline in the U.S. to fully replace its fossil fuel-powered ground service equipment (GSE) fleet with electric vehicles at a local airport within a serious air-quality non-attainment area. The airline said the replacement of its diesel-powered vehicles at El Paso International Airport is part of its commitment to maintaining a healthy environment for the communities it serves. This commitment includes a long-term plan to replace 80 percent of its fossil-fuel GSE fleet throughout the United States with electric vehicles over the next decade, at a cost of $400 million. Starting in 1996, the airline began giving priority to re-equipping stations in cities with severe air-quality issues. El Paso received top priority due to its “serious” non-attainment designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Along with lower vehicle exhaust levels, the electric GSE fleet reduces fossil-fuel usage and noise emissions. American also implemented a series of new battery-charging techniques that have helped the airline cut the energy consumption of its GSE fleet by up to 60 percent.