The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently unveiled its first round of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at a new Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC) in Atlanta, Ga. The Postal Service expects to convert approximately 400 S&DC sites nationwide so they can serve as charging hubs for more than 66,000 USPS electric delivery vehicles. As of January 2024, the Postal Service has opened 29 of these S&DCs.
The USPS also plans to procure 21,000 commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) battery-powered and domestically manufactured delivery vehicles, including 9,250 from the Ford Motor Company, depending on market availability and operational feasibility.
In addition, the Postal Service anticipates adding at least 45,000 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) by 2028. This represents one of the largest commitments to vehicle electrification in the nation. USPS will continue to explore the feasibility of achieving 100% electrification for its delivery vehicle fleet. Updating and modernizing the Postal Service’s fleet will allow vehicles to transport larger volumes of mail and packages, which will help improve delivery operations and reduce transportation inefficiencies.
Deployment of the electric delivery trucks will start in Georgia and then expand to other locations across the country throughout 2024. The vehicles are designed to meet modern operational requirements, including air conditioning and advanced safety technology.
Delivering for America
The EV and charging stations are part of USPS’ broader modernization efforts, and were funded by $3 billion in congressional funding appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Delivering for America is a 10-year, $40 billion investment strategy designed to improve the efficiency and performance of the nation’s postal network. Specifically, the strategy focuses on improving processing, transportation and delivery networks to that also will help the Postal Service reach its sustainability goals.
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