Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, under the leadership of Donald Trump’s appointee, the United States Postal Service announced a 10-year, $485-million contract to Oshkosh Defense for new mail trucks, only committing to buy 10 percent as electric vehicles and failing to commit to 100 percent electrification of the fleet. The USPS operates more than 200,000 vehicles and uses almost 200 million gallons of gasoline each year. The first of the newly ordered trucks are due to be on the road in 2023.
Last month, 13 Senate Democrats sent a letter to President Biden to call attention to the opportunity for USPS to commit to an all-electric fleet. The program to replace the USPS’s current trucks was launched in 2015, but it has been stalled several times over the years, forcing the Postal Service to keep its current trucks in service, many without air conditioning, past their expected life span.
The Sierra Club previously called for US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's resignation after he took drastic steps to compromise the 2020 election.
In response to the USPS announcement, Gina Coplon-Newfield, Director of Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign, released the following statement:
“From undermining our democracy to delaying climate action, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy continues to fail the United States Postal Service and the American public. The lack of commitment from the USPS to electrify its fleet directly contradicts the Biden administration’s goals and executive order to clean up pollution from the US government’s vehicles.
“It’s 2021, and a ‘Next Generation’ or even ‘current generation’ vehicle means an electric vehicle. Government agencies shouldn’t be investing in fossil fuels for vehicles that will be delivering mail in communities for decades to come. The Sierra Club urges USPS and the Postal Service Board to prioritize clean air and climate action in this critical moment of change for America’s mail trucks by committing to a 100% all-electric fleet.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.