footprint of one of the largest government fleets
in the world. The mail-service fleet comprises
more than 230,000 vehicles, nearly one-third of
the federal government’s overall fleet.
The new vehicles are greener than current
models, which have been in use for three
decades or more, but most will be powered
by gasoline.
An electrified fleet would save about 135
million gallons of fuel per year, said Adrian
Martinez, an attorney for the environmental
group Earthjustice who has urged the Biden
administration to force the Postal Service to
suspend or delay the contract and develop a
more eco-friendly plan.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Republican
donor and ally of former President Donald
Trump, has said the 10% EV production is the
best the Postal Service can do, given its “dire
financial condition.” An additional $3.3 billion
would be needed convert the entire USPS fleet
to battery-powered electrics, DeJoy said.
The Postal Service decision conflicts with Biden’s
goal to convert all of the federal government’s
vehicles to zero-emissions models by 2035.
The Postal Service is controlled by a board of
governors and does not take orders from the
president. Biden has nominated two people
to serve on the board, but they have not been
confirmed, leaving the panel under control of a
Republican chairman, Roman Martinez.