US Postal Service Announces Shift Toward Electric Delivery Vehicles
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US Postal Service Announces Shift Toward Electric Delivery Vehicles - ExtremeTech:
The United States Postal Service (USPS) isn't just busy delivering holiday packages; it's also working to revamp its fleet of ground delivery vehicles. The public mailing service has announced its intent to transition toward electric vehicles (EVs) in an effort to reduce its operations' greenhouse gas emissions.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the agency's EV adoption strategy on Tuesday alongside a handful of Biden administration officials. Starting now, the USPS will begin replacing its aging fleet of 30-year-old delivery trucks-most of which are said to lack air conditioning and get approximately 10 MPG-with 66,000 total EVs. Of these, 45,000 will be from defense contractor Oshkosh, which currently has a deal to provide the USPS with 60,000 updated delivery vehicles. The remainder of the agency's new electric fleet will come from mainstream automakers. By 2026, all new vehicles purchased by the USPS will be electric.
"We have a statutory requirement to deliver mail and packages to 163 million addresses six days per week and to cover our costs in doing so," said DeJoy during the announcement. "If we can achieve those objectives in a more environmentally responsible way, we will do so."
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