The push to electric has continued for the United States Postal Service as its nationwide fleet of electric vehicles grew by 9,250 on Tuesday. The USPS awarded its contracts for the vehicles and for more than 14,000 charging stations.
The service will soon be delivering mail and parcels through renewable energy-powered vehicles, it shared on Tuesday, as the plan for the USPS to build a fleet of EVs continues.
As for what mail will soon be delivered in, the USPS purchased Ford’s E-Transit Battery Electric Vehicles, which are said to be “100% electric.”
The Next Generation Delivery Vehicles plan from the agency was announced in December, as the USPS noted that it wants 75% of its newly acquired vehicles over the next half-decade to be electric.
After 2026, the USPS plans to only purchase EVs for its delivery vehicles, with the goal of having 66,000 deployed by 2028.
However, there are still several hoops the agency has to jump through before they receive the vehicles, which would be delivered in December at the earliest. Among the required tasks includes a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on the deployment of the vehicles.
As for the 14,000 charging stations, the agency awarded contracts to three suppliers to help build up its inventory of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment.
Where the charging stations and vehicles will be deployed once they are delivered is still being finalized.
The Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, shared that the move to electric is going to help improve the agency’s revenue while it reduces costs. Other benefits of the vehicles include better working conditions and service, DeJoy said.
“Electrification of our vehicle fleet is now an important component of these initiatives,” DeJoy said. “We have developed a strategy that mitigates both cost and risk of deployment – which enable execution on this initiative to begin now.”
The decision to move electric vehicles came following President Joe Biden’s executive order that said all federal vehicles would need to be zero-emission by 2035. Biden penned the order at the start of his presidency.
As for Tuesday’s acquisition of EVs, the agency shared that it is continuing its efforts to upgrade its fleet to provide better service.
“The Postal Service has been steadfastly committed to the fiscally responsible and mission capable roll-out of electric-powered vehicles for America’s largest and oldest federal fleet,” the agency said on Tuesday.
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