USPS Says It Needs More Money To Electrify Fleet

The U.S. Postal Service is blaming a lack of funding for its recent decision to prioritize gas-powered vehicles in its purchasing plans, reports Mack Degeurin for Gizmodo. The decision garnered backlash from environmentalists and electrification advocates who say committing to only 10 percent electric vehicles in one of the world's largest government fleets is unacceptable. "In 2019, emissions from transportation (which includes federal fleets like the USPS) accounted for 29% of U.S. emissions, according to the EPA—higher than any other source." Meanwhile, USPS delivery trucks make up 30 percent of the federal government's vehicle fleet.

"In an announcement made over the weekend, the Postal Service reiterated that its Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) program would add 5,000 electric vehicles to its fleet and claimed it hoped to achieve a 70% electric fleet by the end of the decade. Those are bold statements, considering the agency recently said it would spend $11.3 billion on up to 165,000 new vehicles over the next decade, with 90% of those powered by gas engines."

But the agency claims to be limited by insufficient funding from the government. "Absent such funding, we must make fiscally responsible decisions that result in the needed introduction of safer and environmentally cleaner vehicles for the men and women who deliver America’s mail," said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. But according to DeGeurin, "That tepid walk-back comes days after the Environmental Protection Agency and The White House Council on Environmental Quality wrote letters urging The Postal Service to re-evaluate its decision to buy mostly gas-powered vehicles."