United States Postal Service To Switch To Electric Trucks By 2026

In a recent announcement, the United States Postal Service reveals it is gearing up to purchase 66,000 electric vehicles to form one of the largest sustainable fleets in the country, as it plans to turn its iconic white mail trucks into eco-friendly carriers. 

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy tells The Washington Post that 60,000 of these “Next Generation Delivery Vehicles” will be acquired from defense contractor Oshkosh, of which 45,000 will be electric. 46,000 additional models—21,000 electric—will be purchased from mainstream brands.

In total, the switch to environmentally-friendly vehicles, which will take place over five years, is expected to cost USPS US$9.6 billion, including US$3 billion provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and President Biden’s climate, health care, and tax law. 

Part of the funds will go towards building modern charging infrastructure at hundreds of the Postal Service’s facilities, as the organization has committed to exclusively buying electric delivery trucks from 2026. 

This is certainly a huge milestone in President Joe Biden’s push to electrify the Federal fleet, considering the US Government operates the largest collection of vehicles in the world, of which the USPS has the largest share. 

“The US Postal Service plan sets the pace for other leading public and private sector fleets. It is clear that the future of transportation is electric—and that future is here,” proclaims Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. 

[via The Washington Post and The White House, cover image via Jonathan Weiss | Dreamstime.com]