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The U.S. Postal Service has been increasing their alternative fuel use since 2006 – at a rate of 41% since they made the decision to go green. Current goals include reducing their petroleum use by 20% over the next five years. As a means to that goal The U.S. Postal Service is currently conducting a one-for-one replacement of 6,500 vehicles with 1,000 E-85 ethanol-capable and 900 gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles. The GSA is helping USPS to purchase said vehicles which will be replacing aging vehicles at postal offices and facilities across the country.
This is good news since the Postal Service operates and maintains the largest civilian fleet in the country (220,000 strong). The GSA purchase of 1,900 new fuel efficient vehicles will bring the total number of alternate fuel-capable vehicles in the Postal Service fleet to 43,000+.
This is cool news but not a shock. The Postal Service has actually been fairly active on the eco-vehicle front for a long while now. For example…
- In Florida, California and Arizona USPS delivered mail on a trial basis using three-wheel (T3) electric vehicles. T3 is powered by two rechargeable batteries, has zero gas emissions and costs 4 cents a mile to operate.
- The Postal Service uses delivery vehicles in Florida that run on propane vs. gas fuel.
- About 300 vehicles nationwide use biodiesel fuel to deliver the mail.
- Of course mail carriers also walk a lot of their routes, which is green, fuel-free, and efficient. The Postal Service notes that their “fleet of feet delivers mail door-to-door and neighbor-to neighbor by walking almost 10,000 mail delivery routes a day.”
[image via US Postal Service]
