USPS Embarks on Electric Vehicle Revolution, Replacing Aging Fleet with Modern, Sustainable Vehicles
TheUnited States Postal Service (USPS), operating the largest government vehicle fleet, isundergoing a major transformation, transitioning to an all-electric fleet under the Biden administration. This ambitious undertaking, led by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, is part of a10-year, $40 billion modernization plan aimed at revitalizing the USPS infrastructure and operations.
The first wave of electric delivery vehicles has hit the road,much to the delight of postal workers weary of the current fleet, some of which are over 30 years old. Complaints about the aging vehicles have been widespread, citing lack of modern safety features, frequent fires, insufficient cargo capacity, and, perhaps most significantly, the absence of air conditioning.
The new vehicles, manufactured by Oshkosh Defense in South Carolina, boast all the features lacking in the old fleet, with one crucial addition: they are electric. This represents a significantshift for the USPS, which initially argued that the cost of transitioning to electric vehicles was prohibitive, exceeding its already strained budget.
However, the USPS is now set to purchase a total of 21,000 off-the-shelf commercial electric vehicles, with plans to add at least 45,000 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) by 2028, bringing the total number of electric vehicles in its delivery fleet to over 66,000.
To support this massive electric vehicle fleet, hundreds of new sorting and delivery centers across the country will be equipped with chargingstations. The USPS has partnered with Siemens, Rexel/ChargePoint, and Blink to produce the first 14,000 electric vehicle chargers. These charging stations will be capable of overnight charging for USPS electric vehicles, ensuring they are ready for deliveries the next day.
This move towards electric vehicles is asignificant departure from DeJoy’s initial proposal, which envisioned 90% of the first wave of NGDVs being gasoline-powered. This sparked outrage from environmental advocates, who ultimately filed lawsuits demanding the USPS electrify its fleet.
Everybody went crazy, DeJoy told the Associated Press, citing thehigh cost of the vehicles and the expense of installing thousands of charging stations. However, after a meeting with John Podesta, the Biden administration’s chief environmental advisor, DeJoy reached an agreement for the government to provide the USPS with $3 billion, partially dedicated to installing electric charging stations.
Ultimately, inDecember 2022, DeJoy announced that the USPS would purchase 106,000 vehicles, including 60,000 NGDVs (with 45,000 being electric) and 21,000 other electric vehicles. He also pledged thatall new vehicle purchases from 2026 onwards would be electric.
This ambitious plan is expected to reduce the USPS’s carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. Earlier this year, the USPS also received the President’s Federal Sustainability Award, marking a successful conclusion to what DeJoy described asan interesting journey.
The transition to an electric fleet represents a major step forward for the USPS, not only in terms of sustainability but also in improving the working conditions for its employees. The new electric vehicles offer a modern, comfortable, and safe working environment, contributing to a more efficient and environmentally responsible postal service.
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