U.S. Postal Services urged to construct 165,000 next-generation delivery vehicles
On Monday, the U.S. postal services governing board requested thirteen U.S. House Democratic lawmakers to restrict implementation of a contract which is anticipated to be worth $6 billion to construct 165,000 next-generation delivery vehicles.
In February, The USPS selected Oshkosh Corp to build a mix of gasoline-powered and electric vehicles instead of Workhorse Group Inc to build an all-electric fleet.
The lawmakers, including Representative Gerald Connolly, who is head of the subcommittee that oversees USPS, Jared Huffman, Tim Ryan, Debbie Dingell, and others, also suggested the decision was in defiance of an executive order issued by President Joe Biden to electrify the federal government’s vehicle fleet.
The lawmakers wrote, “Squandering this once-in-a-generation opportunity by spending billions of dollars on vehicles that will be custom-built for obsolescence – indeed, by the end of their operating lives they will be the last internal combustion fleet vehicles on the road – and defying President Biden’s Executive Order is utterly unacceptable.”
According to, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy last month’s statement, USPS was committed to having EVs make up at least 10% of its new fleet. Whereas lawmakers stated that even the 10% target is highly questionable.
USPS has asked Congress for about $8 billion to boost the number of EVS it will buy, adding that “with the right level of congressional support, we can commit… (to) a fully electric fleet by 2035.”