Sen. Tom Carper Says USPS Should Buy More Electric Vehicles
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The U.S. Postal Service should include more electric vehicles in its new fleet than it first envisioned when it awarded a $6 billion contract to Oshkosh Corp., a U.S. senator told nominees to the service’s board.
“The Postal Service has a great opportunity here to take the lead in combating climate change, and that’s by moving away from internal combustion engines,” Sen.Tom Carper (D-Del.), told three nominees to the agency’s board.
Carper spoke as the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee considered three nominees from President Joe Biden. Their arrival at the postal board would end a Republican majority there. No vote was taken April 22.
RELATED: DeJoy Embraces Electric Trucks Despite USPS Contract Award
The Postal Service in February awarded the contract for tens of thousands of mail-delivery vans to commercial and military truck maker Oshkosh, and said it expected 10% of the fleet to be powered by electricity. The award bypassed fledgling electric-vehicle specialist Workhorse Group Inc. after Biden ordered a clean-energy fleet.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy later said as many as 50% of vehicles might be electric when the first full set of vehicles is ordered. Oshkosh has said its vehicle can be built to use either electric power or a gasoline engine.
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