Photo: USPS
The only thing worse than having to go to the post office is having a tooth extracted with a pair of rusted pliers on a deserted island with no rum to kill the pain. In light of this, it came as no surprise to the American public when the USPS announced they were upgrading their fleet of delivery vehicles with gas-powered vans.
That's right! In an age to be defined by the electric vehicle movement, a quasi-government agency decided to purchase gas-powered vans despite environmental protocol laws.
Soon after the announcement, sixteen states, four environmental agencies, and the United Autoworkers Union (UAW) filed suit to block the plan for failure to comply with environmental regulations. The White and EPA also urged the USPS to reconsider.
The agency quickly changed its tune and proposed buying 50,000 EVs and slowly phasing their out gas-powered fleet. Auto News reported yesterday that the USPS is proposing to buy 25,000 of the initial order from Oshkosh Defense, a Wisconsin-based military contractor that specializes in military vehicles, systems, and technologies.
The agency also plans to buy 34,500 off-the-shelf commercial vehicles over two years. Of those, up to 20,000 will be left-hand drive, off-the-shelf, electric vehicles, and up to 14,500 right-hand drive gas-powered vehicles.
The initial plan called for a $2.98 billion (2.91 euro) purchase, however, the agency expects to increase the number of electric vehicles in an updated environmental impact study. USPS says that 40% of new vehicles purchased will be electric.
In addition to the environmental claims in the lawsuits, the original UAW suit wanted to block the purchase of vehicles made in South Carolina because they would have been built using non-union labor.
Soon after the announcement, sixteen states, four environmental agencies, and the United Autoworkers Union (UAW) filed suit to block the plan for failure to comply with environmental regulations. The White and EPA also urged the USPS to reconsider.
The agency quickly changed its tune and proposed buying 50,000 EVs and slowly phasing their out gas-powered fleet. Auto News reported yesterday that the USPS is proposing to buy 25,000 of the initial order from Oshkosh Defense, a Wisconsin-based military contractor that specializes in military vehicles, systems, and technologies.
The agency also plans to buy 34,500 off-the-shelf commercial vehicles over two years. Of those, up to 20,000 will be left-hand drive, off-the-shelf, electric vehicles, and up to 14,500 right-hand drive gas-powered vehicles.
The initial plan called for a $2.98 billion (2.91 euro) purchase, however, the agency expects to increase the number of electric vehicles in an updated environmental impact study. USPS says that 40% of new vehicles purchased will be electric.
In addition to the environmental claims in the lawsuits, the original UAW suit wanted to block the purchase of vehicles made in South Carolina because they would have been built using non-union labor.
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