Deliver on more U.S. Postal Service electric vehicles

The Postal Service’s replacement of its aging delivery fleet over the next few years is vital. Thanks to NRDC activists like you, the USPS is heading in the right direction of purchasing more electric vehicles. But they need to hear from us again that they must commit to maximizing the number of electric vehicles in their fleet and do so without delay. Submit a comment to USPS now!

Urge the USPS to purchase clean vehicles without delay

Photo: Paul Sableman via Flickr, CC BY 4.0

The Postal Service’s replacement of its aging delivery fleet over the next few years is vital. If the USPS fails to maximize the number of battery electric vehicles in the fleet, they will be locked into decades of fossil fuel vehicles operating in communities across the U.S., resulting in higher maintenance and fuel costs, worse air quality, and increased climate impacts.

Thanks to NRDC activists like you, the USPS is taking another step in the right direction for the purchase of its new fleet of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs). Instead of following through with its original plan to purchase gasoline-fueled engines for up to 90% of its new fleet of NGDVs, the USPS has now announced plans to modify the current Record of Decision. The agency plans to reduce the total number of vehicles proposed for purchase to a combination of 106,480 NGDVs and ready-made vehicles and will make at least 62% of these vehicles electric.

While the agency’s announcement to electrify more of its fleet is welcome, this still falls short of what is possible and fails to appropriately consider the adverse economic and jobs impacts associated with the manufacturing of its vehicles.

Now is the time — USPS must commit to maximizing the number of battery electric vehicles built with high-quality jobs in its fleet and do so without delay. Any delay in deploying these clean vehicles will also unnecessarily delay key public health and climate benefits.

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Your Message

Subject Deliver on purchasing more electric vehicles

Dear Mr. Davon Collins:

Message Body

The Postal Service’s proposal to modify its Record of Decision to increase the percentage of vehicles purchased that are electric vehicles from 10 percent to 62 percent in combined Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) and commercial off the shelf vehicles (COTS) is a welcome step in the right direction.

However, the agency must maximize the number of electric vehicles in its fleet without delay, and this proposed action falls short of what is possible. The Postal Service must modify its Record of Decision and substantially increase the minimum electric vehicle commitment to greater than 62 percent of the 106,480 vehicles planned for purchase.

Failure to maximize the number of battery electric vehicles in the fleet will lock in decades of fossil fuel vehicles operating in communities across the U.S. This will also result in higher maintenance and fuel costs, worse air quality, and increased climate impacts.

The Postal Service must also do more to appropriately consider the direct and indirect adverse economic and jobs impacts associated with the manufacturing of its vehicles. The agency has a unique opportunity to ensure that the federal funding received for its electrification efforts is fully leveraged to invest in communities and create high-quality jobs.

Electric vehicles are capable of meeting the Postal Service’s needs, and purchasing more electric vehicles over combustion engine vehicles will save the agency money in the long-term. The Postal Service has a clear opportunity to deliver a plan the agency deserves—one that will meet the moment and will save money while delivering cleaner air.

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