Washington, D.C. — The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) applauded the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today, following USPS’s announcement that it will significantly accelerate its plans to electrify the postal fleet. Over the next five years, USPS will invest $9.6 billion to purchase 66,000 electric vehicles (EVs) and build charging infrastructure to reach President Biden’s Executive Order for 100 percent zero-emission light-duty vehicle acquisitions at the federal level by 2027 and 100 percent zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035. USPS plans for all-electric delivery vehicle acquisitions starting in 2025. Earlier this year, USPS planned for EVs to only make up 40 percent of its fleet, having previously planned for only 10 percent fleet electrification.

“This is an extraordinary step by USPS and the Biden Administration to advance the electrification of the federal fleet,” said Joe Britton, executive director of ZETA. “USPS has the largest fleet in the federal government and reaches across our nation with some of the most recognizable vehicles on the road. Postal routes are predictable and include ample charging time to meet the fleet’s power needs. Transitioning these older, inefficient vehicles to EVs will not only serve as a visual reminder of their value and reliability but will also provide public health, environmental, and economic benefits to our communities. 

“ZETA has been a longtime advocate for USPS fleet electrification and condemned previous efforts to purchase gas-powered vehicles for the next iteration of the fleet. Today’s announcement shows that public accountability can positively impact government action. We commend USPS for their new commitment to transportation electrification and the Administration for their continued leadership on this effort.”

ZETA has advocated for USPS electrification since its launch in 2020. Last year, ZETA highlighted inaccuracies in the environmental impact statement (EIS) USPS used to justify purchasing more gas-powered vehicles for its fleet. In April 2022, ZETA’s Executive Director testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform to argue for full fleet electrification at a time when USPS announced that 10% of its new fleet would be electric. 

More information on these efforts and more can be found at zeta2030.org/news-archive.

About ZETA

The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) is a federal coalition focused on advocating for 100% EV sales by 2030. ZETA is committed to enacting policies that drive EV adoption, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, secure American global EV manufacturing leadership, drastically improve public health, and significantly reduce carbon pollution.