The United States Post Office forged ahead in February with a 10-year, $6 billion deal with Oshkosh Defense for up to 165,000 new trucks to replace its aging delivery fleet. These are gas-powered vehicles that get a dismal 8.6 miles per gallon, a 0.4 increase over the outgoing Grumman LLV trucks that we’ve seen for many years. Amid calls by the Biden administration and the EPA for more electric vehicles in the mix, the USPS announced a few days ago that it would “increase the number of BEVs in the mix as financial resources become available and as the Postal Service refines our network and vehicle operating strategy.”One potential solution is to use electric bikes, which require less power and infrastructure and can service a variety of areas. Elektrek reported yesterday that the USPS is indeed testing e-bikes in Florida with 500 Wh units made by Montana-based Coaster Cycles, but the agency is keeping details fairly quiet for now. Aside from the Elektrek report and an article by Director of City Delivery Christopher Jackson in The Postal Record, details are slim on this interesting initiative.
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