The U.S. Postal Service has awarded contracts to purchase battery-operated delivery vans and install charging stations at various agency facilities nationwide as part of its fleet electrification initiative.
Awards cover the procurement of 9,250 E-Transit Battery Electric Vehicles from automaker Ford and more than 14,000 pieces of EV supply equipment from three companies, USPS said Tuesday.
“We are moving forward with our plans to simultaneously improve our service, reduce our cost, grow our revenue, and improve the working environment for our employees. Electrification of our vehicle fleet is now an important component of these initiatives,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
The agency expects to spend as much as $9.6 billion in electrification efforts, with $3 billion of the estimated total investment coming from Inflation Reduction Act funds.
Federal News Network reported the Ford and FCA contracts are valued at more than $1 billion, while the awards to charging station suppliers Blink Charging, Siemens and Rexel Energy Solutions are worth $260 million combined.
According to the report, USPS additionally ordered gasoline-powered vehicles from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to replace aging delivery buses.
