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The Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service (USPS) recently committed that 10% of its new fleet will be fully electric. The upgrade was announced last week and will replace 50,000 to 165,000 vehicles over the next 10 years. The current USPS LLV (Long Life Vehicles) ICE line is almost 30 years old.
As Electrek previously covered, the original USPS contract was awarded to Oshkosh Corporation for $ 482 million. Oshkosh Corp. is a Wisconsin-based defense contractor known for building military vehicles. The final decision came from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. DeJoy was appointed last May by the USPS board of directors, all selected by Donald Trump.
The initial announcement of the contract with Oshkosh Corp. mentioned a mix of ICE and electric vehicles. The news was greeted with surprise and disappointment by many who thought the next USPS fleet would be fully electric, especially after the Biden administration announced just a month ago that it intended to pass the set of the government fleet to electric vehicles. This includes post office vehicles.
Can the USPS not commit to more than 10% electricity?
Congress asked DeJoy why the USPS couldn’t commit that more than 10% of new vehicles be fully electric. He replied that the USPS doesn’t have the extra 3 or 4 billion it would take to do so. DeJoy went on to say he was prepared to talk to Congress and the Biden administration about additional funding.
Why DeJoy didn’t make an effort to work with Congress and the President before signing a contract with Oshkosh remains unclear. It’s also unclear exactly how much an extended electrical deployment would cost in comparison. Having said that, it’s reasonable to believe that it would cost a lot more.
In fact, the USPS was previously in talks with Workhorse Group Inc., submitting to the Board of Governors an offer for a fully electric postal fleet. The USPS rejected the proposal.
DeJoy said the USPS will ensure that future ICE vehicles are built on a platform that is more easily convertible to electricity. It is also not clear when this conversion could occur. Nonetheless, the USPS has allocated $ 500 million for this cause.
Yesterday, President Biden revealed his intention to appoint new members to the three vacant seats on the USPS board of directors. This decision would solidify a Democratic majority on the council and offer bipartisanship. It would also give the board the power to remove DeJoy from his post. In other words, if he feels unfit for the role.
Taking Electrek
Conservationists are unlikely to settle for anything less than 100% electric vehicles. However, there should be some understanding behind a mixed fleet – at least to begin with. It could be argued that some rural areas do not yet have the charging infrastructure to support electric postal vehicles.
Additionally, an ICE vehicle might serve better during harsh winter climates. Still, a 10% commitment to a “mixed fleet” sounds like a slap in the face. Such a small portion of a potentially huge contract looks more like an appeasement than a true rally to zero emissions.
Louis DeJoy says the USPS has agreed to commit $ 500 million to someday convert ICE vehicles to electric vehicles. However, it looks like a kick that will end up costing the government more in the long run. It can become someone else’s problem anyway, especially as House Democrats ask President Biden to fill vacant USPS board seats.
The White House has not yet commented. Although a majority on the board would provide a tremendous opportunity for the Biden administration to get its federal electric fleet plans back on track. We’ll keep an eye on it and see.
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