By Mike Sheldrick, Senior Editor
March 7, 2022
It’s a question that everyone wants answered. How is it, during a dramatic transformation of the automotive industry from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to EVs, that USPS – the U.S. Postal Service — is replacing its aged fleet of delivery trucks with between 50,000 and 165,000 miles, with ICE powered trucks? Under pressure after that announcement last month, USPS relented slightly and said that the trucks could be converted to EVs, or could be electric, without furnishing any additional details.
So, while the Electric Mail Truck is not dead, it’s future is uncertain. And the answer, sadly, is not simple. A favorite target, especially of the left, is Postmaster Louis De Joy, a Trump ally. Many Democrats have called for his ouster, but the Post Office is independent of executive branch, by legislation that was passed in 1970.
In 2006, Congress saddled the USPS with $160 billion of debt by forcing it to accrue for health and retirement benefits for its workers. Since then, it has run up additional deficits, due in part to a substantial drop in first-class mail. More recently, Covid-19 has hit USPS hard. It lost $5 billion in 2021.
How did we get to this point, when nearly every major shipper – and their suppliers – are planning to switch entirely as quickly as possible, to EVs? Moreover, USPS trucks seem to be ideal for electrification: many, if not most, drive similar routes day after day; these are stop-and-go, perfect for regenerative braking, and seemingly easy to tailor for a distances that would put them back at a central location at night to be recharged.
Vice has written what might be the most complete account of how we reached this point. We can’t vouch for all its conclusions, but it does appear to be an even-handed history.
Not all is bleak, however, The outcry over De Joy’s 10-year plan that would have reduced mail deliveries spurred Congress to action, and the House passed a bill that received support from both sides of the aisle. It is now before the Senate. Most importantly, it will remove the onerous debt that past Congressional action saddled the post office with and may give USPS assistance in acquiring electric vehicles.
