By: Diane Benjamin
h/t a reader
The US Post Office is buying electric mail delivery vehicles. The Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act included $3 billion to make that happen.
This is a pic of the E. Empire location. It appears they are installing EV chargers:
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In 2021, the USPS signed a 10-year contract with Oshkosh Defense, with an initial order for 50,000 vehicles placed in 2022.
They aren’t buying Rivian vehicles. Some sources suggest that Rivian’s lack of union labor could make it politically difficult for the USPS to choose them.
Of course the vehicle cost and charging infrastructure are much more than traditional vehicles. Government used printed money to force a change they wanted to see. Since they aren’t spending their own money, the cost is immaterial. Remember the 9% inflation? This Act played a big part in creating it.
See the Oshkosh Defense site here for more information – page down to see their mail vehicles: https://www.oshkoshcorp.com/brands-innovations/electric-vehicles
They plan on selling 165,000 to the Post Office.
Interesting, didn’t the local post office just purchase in the past year many new vans to replace their aging ones?
Can’t wait to see what happens this winter. These vehicles are parked outside. How does weather affect electric vehicles? I don’t know but I can’t believe it won’t have some negative affect. Mail delivery is a joke as it is.
Battery drains faster
That’s what I would have guessed if I had to.
They become a very heavy BRICK in the cold… thus EVs are not at all a realistic vehicle for most of the world.
This winter, mail and packages will be delayed, especially in the country/rural routes. The electric vans will have to be towed back to town by a gasoline powered tow truck. The stupidity is glaringly obvious.
Senate democrats blocked ending the program
I feel for the carriers who do rural delivery . Sub zero weather massive snowstorms and there they are stuck in a tin can that won’t go! I’m waiting for union postal workers to balk! I know a former carrier who was going to be forced to drive one of the ev’s on a rural route he retired because he knew how dangerous driving was going to be in winter in an unreliable vehicle. How many more carriers will do this as well. First time a carrier gets stuck out in horrible weather the union is going to go crazy.
How many of the electric city buses are currently operational?
Between 0 and 1