The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced in late February it plans a 50/50 split of its next order of new vehicles between electric and gasoline power.
Reuters reported that USPS plans to purchase 9,250 battery electric vehicles later this year along with the same number of gasoline-powered vehicles. The purchase will also include more than 14,000 charging stations at its facilities.
The purchases come on the heels of a December announcement that USPS plans to double its fleet of electric delivery vehicles and purchase at least 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028.
USPS received $3 billion from Congress in August as part of a $430 billion climate bill for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The delivery service plans to spend nearly $10 billion on vehicle purchases through 2028.
The delivery service is facing a vehicle crisis, with many trucks more than 30 years old and lacking safety equipment such as air bags and also air conditioning.
Dave Lubach is managing editor of the Facilities Market.
