Upon further review, the U.S. Postal Service will significantly boost its fleet of electric trucks.
The Washington Post reported recently that the Postal Service will electrify at least 40 percent of its delivery trucks, in a reversal of previous decision that limited the electric procurement to 10 percent of the fleet.
The Postal Service originally announced a purchase of as many as 165,000 vehicles, with only 10 percent being electric. The new arrangement calls for the purchase of 50,000 trucks in one contract, half of which will be EVs. Another order will call for 34,500 commercial vehicles, with enough electric models to raise the total fleet to 40 percent emission-free.
The new vehicles will go into service starting in late 2023 and gives a boost to President Biden’s goal of electrifying the entire governmental fleet by 2035. The Post Service has more than 217,000 vehicles in service.
The Postal Service was under pressure from various groups to purchase more electric vehicles. The District of Columbia, 16 states, and environmental groups sued to prevent the original purchasing plan.
As the use of electric vehicles expands, Postal Service routes are considered a prime opportunity for electrification. According to the Post, the Office of Inspector General found that 95 percent of delivery routes are suitable for electrification.
Dave Lubach is managing editor, Facility Market.
