The Postal Service owns more than 231,000 vehicles, one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. The distinctive white, red and blue trucks roam the country from congested cities to quiet rural towns. An all-electric fleet would not only deliver environmental benefits and help an emerging manufacturing sector, but serve as a powerful symbol of an administration that is determined to speed the transition away from fossil fuels.
The Postal Service has argued it could not afford an all-electric fleet and that 10 percent of the new trucks would be electric while 90 percent would be gasoline-powered.
Sue Brennan, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said in a statement that the agency is committed to electrifying its fleet and said it will “continue to pursue the acquisition” of additional electric vehicles as its financial position improves.”
The Build Back Better Act, Mr. Biden’s centerpiece legislative agenda, includes about $6 billion to help the Postal Service pay for electric vehicles and charging stations. That bill is stalled in Congress.
Environmental groups and other government agencies have called the Postal Service’s decision flawed, saying it relies on unrealistic assumptions — like gasoline at $2.19 a gallon. That’s well below the $4.33 average gas price Americans are paying in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it is also far lower than the average pump price before the war.
Congress earlier this month approved a $107 billion financial overhaul of the Postal Service, and it currently is awaiting Mr. Biden’s signature. Neither the House nor Senate version, both of which passed with broad bipartisan support, included amendments that would force a change in the agency’s truck contract.