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Ten months ago, we critiqued the ill-advised and damaging plan by U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy to purchase tens of thousands of gas-guzzling delivery trucks for roles perfectly suited to electric vehicles, and urged people to speak out to urge rapid transition to electric vehicles. We’re excited to report the USPS changed course, announcing at the close of 2022 it will purchase at least 66,000 electric delivery vehicles–well over half the 106,000 delivery vehicles it plans to acquire over the next five years.
About one-third of the investment for fleet electrification comes from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, according to the USPS. The plan calls for purchasing 60,000 trucks from the military contractor Oshkosh Corporation, of which 75 percent will be electric. The USPS will buy 46,000 new vehicles from mainstream manufacturers–21,000 of them electric.
Along with grassroots opposition, sixteen states filed suit in April to halt the purchase of gas-powered trucks, joining many environmental groups calling for immediately prioritizing electric vehicles. “The USPS commitment to invest in electric vehicles now and to purchase only electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles starting in 2026 will bring cleaner air for our children and families,” said UUA Climate Justice Organizer Rachel Myslivy. She urged the USPS to prioritize electric vehicle infrastructure in communities hit hardest by air pollution and added, “This investment in vehicles and charging stations will accelerate the clean energy transition and boost progress towards climate goals.”
We commend the USPS for revising its course, as well as those who worked to embed the necessary funding in the Inflation Reduction Act, and—most importantly—the many people and organizations who generated pressure to achieve this important victory.