The United States Postal Service is beginning to go electric, whether the powers-that-be like it or not.
Reuters reported on the revelations of a letter from Nov. 17 outlining the electrification of the agency's fleet. Of the 8,700 Ford E-Transit EVs that USPS has purchased, 2,010 are delivering mail from 65 sites, with those numbers growing continuously.
An additional 612 all-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles designed by Oshkosh Defense are in service operating out of 15 sites. To back that infrastructure, 6,650 charging ports located at 75 sites are powering the fleet of EVs.
"We are deploying (battery electric vehicles) to routes and delivery units where the BEVs will save us money relative to internal combustion vehicles," said USPS government relations chief Peter Pastre in the letter.
Congress allocated $3 billion to the USPS for EVs and infrastructure upgrades through the 2023 Inflation Reduction Act. That funding has come under attack from Senate Republicans, who this June attempted to scrub the funding as part of the Big Beautiful Bill.
That effort failed, as the USPS cautioned that a change of plans would cost the agency a whopping $1.5 billion by mooting their fleet and infrastructure upgrades. Even with the major allocation of funding, it's worth pointing out that the USPS is far from going all-electric.
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The letter revealed that the agency continues to purchase internal combustion vehicles, including 26,000 for its aging fleet. However, the transition to EVs and the unusual-looking trucks is gaining momentum and turning heads while promising to reduce operational costs and environmental impact.
Reuters noted that the aging delivery vehicles like the Grumman Long Life Vehicle from the 1980s cost over $8,000 per year to maintain. Tapping into lower maintenance costs is just one of the advantages the USPS can attain by going electric, as EVs require fewer moving parts and zero oil changes.
The environmental benefits are also significant, with a reduction in tailpipe pollution that leads to cleaner air. The agency can save money on fuel costs, while consumers will appreciate the quieter vehicles.
Ultimately, while EVs and other clean energy initiatives unfortunately veer into political battles, it's heartening to see that the USPS is electrifying despite those headwinds. These steps can help slow the alarming warming of the planet while offering benefits for consumers and the agency alike.
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