BUSINESS

USPS to Buy 9,250 Electric Ford Vans

March 2, 2023

After much debate, the US Post Office is going electric – and they’re making their first big push into EVs with more than 9,000 Ford vans!

The first big order for electric postal delivery vehicles should tell you all that you need to know about the failed Republican bid to prevent the electrification of the US postal fleet – a bid spearheaded by a lawsuit filed by Trump-appointed Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, who favored an ICE-powered truck proposed by OshKosh Defense that gets just 8.6 MPG. But, in case you missed the memo: the USPS is going electric!

“Ford is proud to support the United States Postal Service in delivering a more sustainable future for America by electrifying their fleet with over 9,200 E-Transit vans through the end of 2024,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “Built by our dedicated UAW workforce at the Kansas City Assembly Plant, vehicles will be operated by the largest electric fleet in the country serving communities on every street corner. Together with USPS, we are committing to cleaner air and a better planet.”

The USPS announced the order in a February 28th press release, which also included initial orders for more than 14,000 charging stations to be deployed at USPS facilities. These awards are consistent with the vehicle electrification strategy announced by USPS in December of 2022, and are supported by senior White House officials.

“We are moving forward with our plans to simultaneously improve our service, reduce our cost, grow our revenue, and improve the working environment for our employees. Electrification of our vehicle fleet is now an important component of these initiatives,” DeJoy, said, hilariously. “We have developed a strategy that mitigates both cost and risk of deployment – which enable execution on this initiative to begin now. I again want to thank the Administration officials and members of Congress who have assisted us in this initiative. Each has shown genuine understanding that our movement toward electrification must be thoughtful and deliberate, must appropriately manage risk, and must be consistent with our primary delivery mission for the American people.”

The USPS plans to add 66,230 battery electric delivery vehicles over the next few years, displacing several million tons of carbon emissions along the way.