The current fleet of mail trucks is so old that they’re bursting into flames, and many lack safety features like anti-lock brakes and airbags. Back in 2015, the USPS oversaw a competition for new mail delivery vehicles, and after years of deliberations and delays, the USPS announced the winner in 2021. The vehicle selected for the long-overdue fleet overhaul was (drumroll…) Pixar-esque, duck-looking trucks. But the vehicles have a fuel efficiency of just 14.7 mpg without air conditioning on (or a measly 8.6 mpg with the AC pumping), and most of the new vehicles would not be electric.
The Biden administration and the EPA, however, have urged the USPS to purchase more electric trucks in order to meet the White House’s goal of slashing vehicle emissions by 2030. Purchasing 165,000 vehicles, of which 90 percent are gas-powered, doesn’t align with the mission of electrifying American vehicles, and a group of states and environmental organizations aren’t happy about it.
