USPS is Electrifying its Fleet with Collaboration from Ford

Photo Source: Ford

The United States Postal Service is buying 9,250 Ford E-Transit battery-electric vehicles and 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations to electrify a significant portion of its mail delivery fleet. In an announcement on February 28, 2023, the USPS proclaimed that it still needed to finish plans for where the infrastructure and vehicles will be set out. Still, part of the strategy is to “begin building out its charging infrastructure across a minimum of 75 locations within the next 12 months.” The chargers will help power an ever-rising number of electric vehicles. 

For instance, in December of the 2022 model year, the USPS declared that it had an idea to incorporate 66,000 electric vehicles into its fleet by 2028. Even though approximately 45,000 of those will be “Next Generation Delivery Vehicles” (NGDV) built by Oshkosh, the agency affirmed that it also had the initiative to integrate 21,000 commercial off-the-shelf electric vehicles. The E-Transits will account for just about 44 percent of those commercial vehicles. 

The E-Transit was Always Under Consideration

It is not exactly a stunning discovery that the USPS selected the E-Transit despite the agency’s fiery claim that it underwent “a competitive search” to choose it. On the one hand, Ford is also committed to the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle project by contributing engines and other such components to Oshkosh. Similarly, when the USPS judged commercial choices for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle for an environmental impact statement, it relied on the E-Transit as a suitable example of a commercial off-the-shelf electric vehicle. 

The Meandering Road to Coming to a Decision

As exceptional and revolutionary as the plans of the USPS currently are, the situation could have been more precise. The USPS has been taking a long and winding road toward electrification. For example, in 2021, when it announced the update of its aging fleet, it also declared that only 10 percent of the additional vehicles would be battery-powered electric vehicles, with the remaining 90 percent relying on internal combustion engines. The plan brought such marked disapproval that it provoked a lawsuit from sixteen states intent on blocking the purchase. 

Somewhat predictably, the USPS has progressively increased the number of electric vehicles it plans to order. In July 2022, its evaluation concluded that at least 40 percent of its all-new purchases would be electric. In December 2022, it examined the “feasibility of achieving 100 percent electrification.” The United States Postal Service has claimed that it expects to invest approximately $9.6 billion into the initiative and believes that almost every vehicle – if not every vehicle – it purchases after 2026 will be electric. The USPS has further asserted that it should begin receiving the Ford E-Transits in December of the 2023 model year, assuming everything goes according to plan.

Ford, for its part, had this to say in response to the news surrounding the USPS: “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.”

Ford has been a car manufacturer that has been engaged in creating a better planet for a while. If your goals tend to line up with Ford’s, please visit Sunrise Ford, where we have a comprehensive lineup of new and quality pre-owned vehicles just waiting to capture your attention. Do not forget that we also have a trained service team that can help with an online appointment to get started on all maintenance work and repairs. After all, we know what it takes to provide a worthwhile experience.