(NewsNation) — The U.S. Postal Service on Monday unveiled its first electric vehicle charging stations and battery-electric delivery vehicles during an event at its South Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center.
USPS says similar charging stations will be installed at hundreds of sites nationwide throughout the year, as part of a $40 billion investment in modernizing the agency’s processing, transportation and delivery networks.
“The improvements we need to achieve in sustainability are an integral outgrowth of the broader modernization efforts we have undertaken through our 10-year Delivering for America plan,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a statement. “As we transform our operating processes and invest in new automation, new technologies, and upgraded facilities and vehicles, we will generate significant efficiencies that reduce our costs, slash our carbon footprint and minimize waste.”
The Postal Service’s new battery-powered commercial off-the-shelf delivery vehicles were domestically manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. USPS plans on procuring a total of 21,000 off-the-shelf EVs, including 9,250 from Ford.
The Ford E-Transits debuted Monday have nearly three times the cargo capacity of the Grumman LLV currently used by USPS.
The agency will also add “at least” 45,000 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles by 2028, increasing the EV delivery fleet to more than 66,000.
“In every neighborhood in America, people know their postal carrier and recognize the USPS vehicle driving down their street,” said John Podesta, senior adviser to President Joe Biden for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “The work USPS is doing to electrify those vehicles is making EVs commonplace on every road and street in our country, while reducing air pollution and increasing comfort and safety for the dedicated public servants who deliver our mail.”
As part of its 10-year Delivering for America plan, the Postal Service plans to convert some 400 sites into charging areas. The new centers provide “faster and more reliable mail and package delivery over a greater geographic area,” and will serve as hubs for EVs along local carrier routes.
“Today is a victory for the U.S. Postal Service, America’s electric vehicle industry, workers, and the environment,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “USPS is leading by example by building the world’s largest electric delivery vehicle fleet and delivering on President Biden’s Investing in America agenda resulting in cleaner air, better health and good-paying jobs in communities across the country.”
USPS says that as of Jan. 24, 29 such sites have opened across the country.
TMX contributed to this report.