The United States Postal Service (USPS), which operates the largest government fleet in the country, is embarking on a significant transformation under the leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. As part of a $40 billion, 10-year modernization plan, the USPS is rolling out electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, marking a major step towards a greener and more efficient postal service.
The Need for Change
Postal workers, weary of the existing fleet of trucks—some of which are over 30 years old—are excited about the upcoming electric vehicles. Their complaints are justified: the current vehicles lack modern safety features, are prone to fires, have insufficient cargo capacity, and, perhaps worst of all, do not have air conditioning.
The new mail trucks are part of a comprehensive reform initiative led by DeJoy. The plan includes upgrading aging facilities, overhauling the processing and transportation network, and, crucially, transitioning to an all-electric fleet.
The Electric Fleet
The new vehicles come equipped with all the features lacking in the old fleet, including being electric. This shift represents a significant milestone for the USPS, which initially believed that switching to electric vehicles would be too costly for their already strained budget.
The USPS now plans to purchase a total of 21,000 commercial electric vehicles and add at least 45,000 battery-electric next-generation delivery vehicles by 2028. This would bring the total number of electric vehicles in the delivery fleet to over 66,000. These new trucks are being manufactured by Oshkosh Defense, based in South Carolina.
Charging Infrastructure
To support this new fleet, hundreds of new sorting and delivery centers across the country will be equipped with charging stations. The USPS has partnered with Siemens, Rexel/ChargePoint, and Blink to produce the first 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations. These charging stations will be capable of overnight charging to ensure the vehicles are ready for delivery the next day.
A Rocky Start
DeJoy’s initial proposal to have 90% of the first wave of next-generation vehicles powered by gasoline sparked anger among environmentalists, who eventually filed a lawsuit demanding that the USPS electrify its fleet.
Everybody flipped out, DeJoy told the Associated Press. The main issue was the high cost of the vehicles and the expense of installing thousands of charging stations. However, after meeting with John Podesta, the White House’s top environmental advisor, DeJoy secured a deal in which the government provided $3 billion to the postal service, part of which would be used to install electric charging stations.
In December 2022, DeJoy announced that the USPS would purchase 106,000 vehicles, including 60,000 next-generation trucks (45,000 of which will be electric) and 21,000 other electric vehicles. He also pledged that all new vehicles purchased from 2026 onwards would be electric.
A Greener Future
The agency now expects to reduce its carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. This summer, the USPS received the Presidential Federal Sustainability Award, marking the end of what DeJoy calls an interesting journey.
The USPS’s commitment to modernization and sustainability is a testament to the changing landscape of postal services worldwide. By investing in electric vehicles and the necessary infrastructure, the USPS is not only addressing the concerns of its workers but also taking a significant step towards reducing its environmental impact.
As the USPS continues to implement its modernization plan, it sets an example for other government agencies and private companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint and embrace the future of transportation.
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