Check out the new electric postal vans and charging stations

USPS and White House officials unveiled the first set of electric vehicle charging stations in Atlanta, the first site of hundreds of sorting centers throughout the country that will power the nation’s largest EV fleet.

Electrification and modernization of the Postal Service’s fleet is part of a larger investment strategy (to the tune of $40 billion) to upgrade and improve the USPS processing, transportation, and delivery networks.

According to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, “The improvements we need to achieve in sustainability are an integral outgrowth of the broader modernization efforts we have undertaken through our 10-year Delivering for America plan.”

"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," the postmaster general added.

John Podesta is the Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. He was present at the ceremony and remarked that “In every neighborhood in America, people know their postal carrier and recognize the USPS vehicle driving down their street.” The new vehicles will help reduce air pollution and increase "the comfort and safety for the dedicated public servants who deliver our mail."

Brenda Mallory, who is the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, commended the postal service for "leading by example" in delivering upon President Biden's Investing in America agenda.

The EV trucks will first get deployed in Georgia and then expand to other locations across the country in 2024. A major improvement over USPS's aging fleet is that these vehicles feature air conditioning and advanced safety technology.

These initial chargers are built by Siemens, and future projects will also use technology from ChargePoint and Blink. Likewise, the initial vehicles are "off the shelf" vehicles from Ford, rather than bespoke vehicles built for the postal service. Ford will provide at least 9,250 of the 21,000 off-the-shelf EVs the postal service plans to purchase.

In addition to improved comfort, safety, and emissions, these vehicles also provide nearly three times the cargo space compared to legacy postal trucks.