ATLANTA — The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) unveiled its first electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the South Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC), back in January, and residents are starting to see them show up.
The rollout marks the start of a nationwide initiative to electrify the USPS delivery fleet. This project, part of the 10-year Delivering for America® plan, aims to install EV infrastructure and deploy over 66,000 electric delivery vehicles.
“In every neighborhood in America, people know their postal carrier and recognize the USPS vehicle driving down their street,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “The work USPS is doing to electrify those vehicles is making EVs commonplace on every road and street in our country, while reducing air pollution and increasing comfort and safety for the dedicated public servants who deliver our mail.”
USPS showcased new battery-powered commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) delivery vehicles at an event in January which will first be deployed in Georgia before expanding nationwide. The EV chargers, manufactured by Siemens, Rexel/ChargePoint, and Blink, will power the USPS's electric fleet efficiently overnight.
“As we transform our operating processes and invest in new automation, new technologies, and upgraded facilities and vehicles, we will generate significant efficiencies that reduce our costs, slash our carbon footprint and minimize waste," Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “We are grateful for the support of Congress and the Biden Administration through Inflation Reduction Act funding, which helped enable the electrification in evidence here today.”
South Atlanta S&DC is one of hundreds of centers set to receive this new infrastructure, which will enhance mail and package delivery. USPS plans to procure 21,000 COTS EVs, including 9,250 from Ford, and add at least 45,000 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) by 2028. This effort represents one of the largest commitments to vehicle electrification in the nation.
The 10-year Delivering for America plan aims to continuously improve USPS operations and sustainability. For more information on USPS sustainability efforts, visit about.usps.com.
