WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) – The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mentioned Tuesday it plans to purchase 9,250 Ford (F.N) E-Transit battery electrical autos beginning later this yr and also will buy an equal variety of gasoline-powered fashions from Chrysler-parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI).
USPS additionally mentioned it was ordering greater than 14,000 charging stations to be deployed at its amenities after it introduced in December mentioned it could greater than double its deliberate electrical supply autos purchases, and can purchase a minimum of 66,000 electrical autos by means of 2028.
Congress in August gave USPS $3 billion as a part of a $430 billion local weather invoice to purchase electrical autos and charging infrastructure.
USPS mentioned it can additionally purchase 9,250 2023 and 2024 mannequin yr Ram ProMaster vans from Chrysler-parent Stellantis “to fill the pressing want for autos.”
USPS mentioned the full for Ford and Stellantis contracts was $1.027 billion.
Environmental group Earthjustice praised the Ford buy however mentioned “the Postal Service ought to have completed its environmental evaluate earlier than additionally sinking thousands and thousands in funding in the identical variety of combustion mail vehicles that may pollute our neighborhoods for many years.”
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The automakers didn’t instantly remark.
In December 2021, President Joe Biden signed an government order directing light-duty autos acquired by the federal government be emission-free by 2027. That order didn’t apply to the Postal Service, an unbiased federal company.
Supply of Ford EVs inbuilt Missouri is about to start in December. They’re a part of the 21,000 autos included in USPS December automobile plan.
USPS awarded contracts to 3 suppliers totaling $260 million for the acquisition of greater than 14,000 charging stations – Blink Charging (BLNK.O), Siemens (SIEGn.DE) and Rexel USA, a unit of Rexel Group (RXL.PA).
USPS expects to spend $9.6 billion on automobile acquisitions by means of 2028.
USPS mentioned next-generation automobile acquisitions delivered in 2026 and past are anticipated to be all electrical. The fashionable autos will substitute many 30-year-old USPS vehicles that lack air luggage and different security tools in addition to air con.
Democratic Senator Gary Peters praised USPS for utilizing funding to “shortly undertake more economical and vitality environment friendly electrical autos.”
Reporting by David Shepardson
Enhancing by Chris Reese and Invoice Berkrot
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