USPS Finalizes Orders Of Gas-Powered Trucks

The US Postal Service (USPS) has said no to EVs by placing an order for a gas-powered fleet. The Hill reported that the USPS announced its finalized plans to order a new fleet of majority gasoline-powered vehicles even though it contradicts the Biden administration’s emissions goal.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, appointed under the Trump administration, said in a statement that the USPS finished its required evaluation of environmental impacts under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). He reiterated his stance that the agency lacked the financial resources to transition to a fully electric fleet.

DeJoy has only committed to 10% of the new vehicles being electrified. An executive order from President Biden called on the federal government to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and the USPS has the single largest civilian fleet in the nation. Awkward. In his statement, DeJoy said:

“As our financial position improves with the ongoing implementation of our 10-year plan, Delivering for America, we will continue to pursue the acquisition of additional BEV [battery electric vehicles] as additional funding — from either internal or congressional sources — becomes available.

“But the process needs to keep moving forward. The men and women of the U.S. Postal Service have waited long enough for safer, cleaner vehicles to fulfill on our universal service obligation to deliver to 161 million addresses in all climates and topographies six days per week.”

Is it time for @USPS to ditch low fuel economy vehicles that burn gasoline for clean EVs?
We think so! Check out this @cleantechnica article to learn more about the current USPS proposal to purchase new vehicles & why it needs to include more EV's: https://t.co/5x6A3abBsI pic.twitter.com/zFnaPbQ1QI

— Drive Electric Colorado (@DriveElectricCO) February 17, 2022

Patricio Portillo, a transportation analyst at the Natural Resource Defense Council, said:

“Neither rain, nor sleet, nor financial good sense will stop the leaders of the U.S. Postal Service from trying to buy dirty, polluting delivery trucks. For the sake of clean air and cost savings, it’s time to return this plan to sender. Congress and the White House should also step in and ensure that Trump-holdover Louis DeJoy and the current board of the post office don’t lock in decades of use of dirty vehicles under the gloom of night.”

Although Steve Hanley pointed out in this article that the decision to use gasoline-powered vehicles for the next three decades was stupid, the USPS doesn’t seem to care. He’s right — politics doesn’t care about these things.