Postal Service considers electric

U.S. Postal Service Delivery Truck

The United States Postal Service, in an effort to meet a federal mandate to reduce energy use 30 percent by 2015, has already taken steps to cut back on its electricity use. Now it could serve as an energy storage asset for the nation’s power grid. 

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) recently introduced H.R. 4399, The American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act, which would authorize the addition of 20,000 electric-drive delivery vehicles to U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) fleet.  

With a fleet of 221,000 vehicles, USPS could play a big role in bringing EVs to market, according to Rep. Serrano, chairman of the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government subcommittee, which oversees federal payment to USPS. 

Known as the “e-Drive bill,” it would allocate up to $2 billion for a two-phase, multi-track testing and manufacturing program for electric drive vehicles within USPS. Both new and converted electric postal vehicles would serve as power storage devices for the grid, helping ease peak loads and store energy from intermittent or fluctuating sources. U.S. Department of Energy, which granted $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of the U.S. batteries and electric vehicles last year, would administer the program.

“This is great for oil independence, environmental benefits, and… the postal fleet, which is 17 years old or more,” says Joy Leong, a Washington, D.C.–based lawyer working pro bono on the advancement of the bill and co-founder of edrive.org. “Why not use the largest federal fleet as a test bed for electric vehicles and batteries and give a huge benefit to the energy industry. Oil independence can develop the industry so that we’re competitive on a global basis?”

The bill must be approved by four committees, and also needs a companion bill in the Senate. USPS has no plans to work with a specific manufacturer, and if passed, there will be competitive solicitation, Leong says.

USPS' most recent report of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions showed that emissions from facilities represent 36 percent of overall emissions, while its vehicles represent 12 percent of the total. Emissions from contractor-owned vehicles represent a whopping 52 percent of its total GHG emissions.  

The Postal Service’s competitors are also working to reduce GHG emissions through the use of alternative vehicles. United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) recently deployed 245 new delivery trucks fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG) to cities in Colorado and California, which is expected to help the company reduce emissions by 15 percent. In July 2009, FedEx (NYSE:FDX) reportedly increased its hybrid-electric delivery fleet from 172 to 264 with the addition of 92 retrofitted trucks. FedEx’s new fleet is projected to improve fuel economy by 44 percent.