The US Postal Service (USPS) has announced plans to electrify its fleet, ending a two-year campaign to avoid doing so. The agency will purchase 9,250 off-the-shelf Ford E-Transits as a first batch of replacements for its 30-year-old Grumman LLV delivery vehicles, with delivery expected to begin this December.
In addition to the Ford EVs, the USPS will also buy 9,259 combustion-engine Ram ProMaster vans, a move that could be seen as a poke in the eye to President Biden and his goal of electrifying the federal fleet. However, the agency has indicated that most of its new vehicles going forward will be EVs. As of December 2022, the USPS plans to buy a minimum of 60,000 purpose-built Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs), of which at least 45,000 will be battery-electric, by 2028.
The USPS will also invest $260 million in 14,000 EV charging stations “to support EV charging at the facilities from which the delivery vehicles will operate.” The agency “plans to begin building out its charging infrastructure across a minimum of 75 locations within the next 12 months, and thereafter to continue the infrastructure build-out in the succeeding years at many additional facilities.”
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has framed the EV-vs-ICE issue as a financial one, and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included $3 billion in funding specifically for USPS electrification, was what tipped the balance in favor of EVs. However, future political changes could turn the tide back towards gasoline.
The USPS’s move towards electrification is a step forward, but it is important to note that ICE vehicles are still very much part of the plan. Going forward, it is essential that the agency continues to invest in EVs and EV infrastructure to ensure that its fleet is fully electrified by 2028.
FAQ
Q1: Are electric car batteries recyclable?
A1: Yes, electric car batteries are recyclable.
Q2: Are electric car chargers free?
A2: It depends on the charger and the location. Some electric car chargers are free, while others may require a fee.
Q3: Can electric car batteries be rebuilt?
A3: Yes, electric car batteries can be rebuilt with the right tools and knowledge.
