A coalition of 16 states, led by California, along with environmental advocacy groups, has withdrawn a 2022 lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) over its plan to primarily purchase gasoline-powered next-generation delivery vehicles.
The decision follows significant changes in USPS’s fleet strategy. Initially, USPS aimed for 90% of its new fleet to be gas-powered and 10% electric. However, the agency has since committed to acquiring a majority of electric vehicles (EVs). “Given USPS’s commitment to rebuild its fleet with a majority of electric vehicles, we decided to dismiss the lawsuit,” said the California attorney general’s office on Thursday.
The Postal Service’s shift aligns with a $3 billion allocation from Congress in 2023 as part of a $430 billion climate bill. This funding includes $1.2 billion specifically earmarked for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. USPS plans to acquire around 66,000 EVs by 2028.
The Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs, said it agreed to drop the lawsuit due to USPS’s progress in electrifying its fleet. “These new postal trucks are saving money, cutting air pollution, and improving the health of our communities,” the group stated.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy recently emphasized USPS’s evolving approach, confirming plans to purchase both next-generation electric delivery vehicles from Oshkosh Corp and off-the-shelf EVs from Ford Motor.
Despite the progress, USPS has faced criticism for the pace of its transition. DeJoy noted that USPS bought 28,000 vehicles this year, with 22,000 of them being gas-powered. However, the agency plans for an even split between gas-powered and EV purchases by 2025, with all new acquisitions being electric starting in 2026.
Oshkosh is expected to deliver 45,000 next-generation electric vehicles and 21,000 off-the-shelf EVs, including 9,250 Ford E-Transit EVs, though deliveries have been limited so far.
While President Joe Biden has directed federal agencies to procure only emission-free vehicles by 2027, USPS, as an independent federal entity, is not bound by this mandate. A recent report highlighted that many federal agencies are falling short of Biden’s EV adoption goals.
Republican Representative William Timmons has urged USPS to revert to its earlier plan of prioritizing gas-powered vehicles, while maintaining its contracts. USPS has reiterated its belief that its initial acquisition strategy complied with environmental regulations.
The dismissal of the lawsuit marks a turning point in USPS’s fleet modernization efforts, aligning the agency more closely with broader federal and environmental goals to reduce emissions.
Source: Reuters
