New USPS trucks go electric, are better for drivers

As the world continues to evolve to meet the challenge of climate change, electric vehicles are becoming a greater and greater part of our lives. The success of people like Elon Musk and their electric car companies is all you need to see for that. Very recently, though, the US government has taken a huge step forward in the path to electric vehicles through the United States Postal Service.

I’m talking about Executive Order 14008, which was signed by President Biden just last month. This E.O., entitled “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad”, is all about how the US is going to try to limit its emissions and help reduce the ever-quickening pace of climate change. What many find most interesting is that the order calls for “clean and zero-emission vehicles for … the United States Postal Service.” In other words, this would mean the aging postal service fleet would be replaced by new electric vehicles.

The current USPS trucks that deliver mail to everyone every day are all past their time. They were built in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and were only designed to be in service for around 24 years. This means that even the newest of these trucks are too old. Not only do older vehicles cause more “check engine” lights to pop on, but they are also fuel inefficient. The trucks average 17 miles per gallon, but because of the way USPS uses them, which includes many stops to deliver mail, they only have a fuel economy of 10 miles per gallon. For comparison, a modest 2020 Hyundai Kona averages around 25 miles per gallon.

These new trucks are also much better for the drivers. The large windshield and side windows give the driver more visibility than the current cars. Much more important, though, are the new safety features, which include a 360º camera, bumper sensors, airbags, forward collision and blind-spot warnings. All of these features help the neighborhood mail deliverers stay safe when they go out each day. What’s sure to put a smile on those drivers' faces, though, is not any of the new safety features; it's the addition of one of the most basic car-parts we are used to: air conditioning. The old trucks lacked this, and the heater they came with was prone to breaking down, but that all changes with these new vehicles. Mail deliverers can now enjoy AC on those hot summer days.

The new trucks, which should be in service by 2023, finally bring the USPS into the 21st century. It also marks the first step of many on the US’s way to sustainable electric vehicles.