Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
Atlanta, GA - Yesterday, the United States Postal Service (USPS) and White House officials showcased new electric vehicle charging stations at its South Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center, representative of charging stations that will be installed at hundreds of centers across the country.
The Atlanta event also included new electric delivery vans manufactured by Ford that will make up USPS’ electric fleet, starting in Georgia and expanding in locations across the country.
USPS received $3 billion in funding from the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which will be used to electrify its fleet, in addition to $40 billion in the Postal Service’s newly announced 10-Year Delivering for America plan.
The USPS has committed to 100 percent electric truck purchases by 2026, a result of public and legal advocacy from environmental groups and a major shift in the agency’s electrification strategy over the past several years. Atlas Policy found that the electrification of delivery trucks could save USPS $4.3 billion and that 97 percent of vehicles would have a lower total cost of ownership than trucks running on gas.
In response, Katherine Garcia, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign, released the following statement:
“Electrifying the U.S. Postal Service’s delivery vehicles will improve air quality and slash climate pollution in neighborhoods across the nation. In addition to protecting residents and delivery drivers from vehicle pollution, the transition makes economic sense for the Postal Service. Electric delivery vehicles will save the USPS money long-term.
“For years we’ve been saying build it union, deliver it pollution free. Sierra Club is pleased to see the Postal Service acquiring the union-made Ford E-Transit electric delivery vans. Since the USPS has the largest fleet in the country, this is a massive opportunity to use union labor to move the clean energy transition forward. We will continue advocating for the Postal Service to go 100% electric.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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.