Big news, mail enthusiasts: The USPS is getting an eco-chic makeover, upgrading over 66,000 of their vehicles to electric and creating charging stations at hundreds of their locations. This isn’t just a glow-up, it’s part of a $40 billion investment strategy to modernize and green the postal network—talk about special delivery. Reducing their carbon footprint and increasing operational efficiency, USPS is doing more than just delivering your online shopping haul—they’re delivering a greener future.
USPS on the path towards sustainable postal services with electric vehicles
Today, the United States Postal Service (USPS) joined hands with White House officials to reveal their first set of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the South Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC). These stations will soon pop up at numerous new S&DCs across the US, empowering the nation’s biggest EV fleet. This is part of a $40 billion plan to modernize and invigorate USPS processing and delivery networks.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stated, “Our modernization efforts, including investing in new automation and technologies, not only reduce costs but also our carbon footprint. This wouldn’t be possible without Congress’s support and the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act funding.”
Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation, John Podesta emphasized, “USPS’s electrification initiative will make EVs common across the country, reducing pollution while enhancing safety for our dedicated public servants.”
White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory hailed USPS’s move as a win for America’s electric vehicle industry, the environment, and good-paying jobs across the country.
USPS welcomes battery-powered vehicles
Additionally, USPS introduced battery-powered and domestically manufactured commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) delivery vehicles as part of their EV fleet. These vehicles, with AC and advanced safety features, are designed to meet modern operational benchmarks. The procurement of EVs and charging stations is supported by the Postal Service’s network modernization efforts and $3 billion in congressional funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Transformation of selected sites into local EV deployment hubs
Under its 10-year Delivering for America (DFA) plan, USPS aims to transform around 400 sites into S&DCs nationwide. These centers will expedite mail and package delivery and serve as local hubs for EV deployment. As of January 2024, USPS has unveiled 29 S&DCs across the country.
Charging stations ready to power USPS EVs
The unveiled charging stations in Atlanta, produced by Siemens, will efficiently charge USPS EVs overnight. The first 14,000 EV chargers are being manufactured by three suppliers: Siemens, Rexel/ChargePoint, and Blink.
USPS’s commitment to electric vehicle adoption
The event showcased battery electric COTS vehicles from the Ford Motor Company. USPS aims to procure a total of 21,000 COTS EVs depending on market availability. They also plan on adding at least 45,000 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) by 2028, making the total number of EVs in the delivery fleet over 66,000. USPS is also examining the possibility of achieving 100% electrification for its delivery vehicle fleet.
The modernization of USPS’s fleet also means delivery vehicles can carry larger volumes of mail and packages. For instance, the showcased Ford E-Transits have nearly three times the cargo capacity of USPS’s current delivery vehicles, promising more efficient transportation and delivery.
For more details on USPS’s sustainability efforts, visit their Sustainability pages.
