Electric vehicles would reduce pollution and save the agency money over the long run May 1, 2022 Attorneys general from 16 states, the District of Columbia and environmental groups sued the U.S. Postal Service on April 28, 20222 to halt purchases of thousands of gas-powered trucks that only get 8.6 ils per gallon, only a small improvement over the 30-year-old vehicles currently […]
May 1, 2022
Attorneys general from 16 states, the District of Columbia and environmental groups sued the U.S. Postal Service on April 28, 20222 to halt purchases of thousands of gas-powered trucks that only get 8.6 ils per gallon, only a small improvement over the 30-year-old vehicles currently in use.
At a time when gas prices are fluctuating violently due to Putin’s war in Ukraine the move has been seen as a political vehicle.
The suits claim that USPS’s plans to spend up to $11.3B on gas-powered vehicles were based on faulty assumptions and miscalculations. The lawsuits ask federal courts to prevent the agency from purchasing the trucks until it reanalyzes their environmental impact.
The Postal Service’s own analysis found that electric vehicles could serve over 95 percent of mail routes today, but the agency’s plan to “modernize” its fleet would electrify only 10 percent. The Postal Service Office of Inspector General also found that while electric vehicles cost more upfront, they would save the agency money on lifetime vehicle costs due to lower fuel and maintenance costs.
