WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service has finalized a contract to replace its mail truck fleet with new Oshkosh Corp. models, almost all of them gasoline powered, after the Biden administration unsuccessfully lobbied for buying more electric vehicles.
The move, announced in a record of decision made public Wednesday, affirms a decision by the independent agency to move forward with a contested plan to begin purchasing as many as 165,000 mail trucks over the next 10 years. As many as 90% of those will run on gasoline instead of climate-friendly batteries, according to the plan.
The decision allows the agency to begin purchasing gasoline-powered trucks from Wisconsin military truck maker Oshkosh Corp. under a $6 billion contract awarded last February. The Postal Service rejected a bid from fledgling electric vehicle specialist Workhorse Group Inc., and resisted pressure from Biden administration officials to boost electric vehicle purchases beyond its planned 10% baseline.
