In The News

The U.S. postal service and the Detroit automakers have a lot in common. They’re both under intense pressure to transform their businesses to meet customer expectations driven by new technology.

John E. Potter, postmaster general of the United States, has already issued the dire pronouncement: Drastic measures will be necessary to save the mail – in the form of either a significant rate increase or, even more severe, the elimination of Saturday delivery. As people adopt electronic communication for more activities, the cost of operating a postal infrastructure grows more and more difficult to bear.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100505/OPINION05/100504086/1336/Opinion/How-Michigan-could-save-the-Saturday-mail
Detroit Free Press (www.freep.com)
Rick Jarmin, May 5, 2010

Despite all the buzz about electric cars, the reality is that it will take several years, maybe even a decade, before electric and hybrid cars will reach anything close to a mass market. Consumer adoption takes time, and therefore the environmental benefits of electric-drive vehicles will also have to wait. On the other hand, corporate and government fleets can move a lot faster to go electric and hybrid. That’s exactly what’s happening at UPS and FedEx.

UPS announced Tuesday that its fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles expanded from 50 hybrid-electric delivery trucks to 250.

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/fedex-and-ups-add-electric-drive-vehicles-27727.html/
HybridCars.com
April 9, 2010

As reported earlier the US Postal Service has the largest fleet of vehicles in the country, and is interested in adopting electric postal trucks. They have experimented with electric trucks for over 100 years and there is potential for significant savings in maintenance and fuel expenditures, as well as reducing their greenhouse footprint. In addition to Bright Automotive there are several other companies developing vehicles for the postal service.

http://wwww.examiner.com/x-14333-Green-Transportation-Examiner~y2010m4d7-Several-companies-working-on-electric-postal-trucks-for-US-Postal-Service-testing
Examiner.com
David Herron, April 7, 2010

United Parcel Service (UPS) is adding 200 hybrid-electric delivery trucks to the 50 that are already wearing the company’s familiar brown livery. It’s a start, but to really make a dent in fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions (as well as sustain a budding industry), much larger orders—tens of thousands—are needed. And while companies are quick to send out a press release every time they buy a greenish vehicle, in fact, the green truck fleet is still small.

Why? Economics.

http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10004493/hybrid-and-electric-delivery-trucks-big-fleets-waiting-to-happen/
Industry.bnet.com -- CBS Interactive
Jim Motavalli, April 6, 2010

By trading oil for batteries, the struggling U.S. Postal Service could transform its fleet vehicles into overnight moneymakers that deliver much more than the daily mail. The cash-strapped agency has the potential to earn millions by storing and stabilizing some of the nation’s grid energy in mail trucks during off-peak hours.

http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100405/postal-service-giant-battery-plan-cashing
SolveClimate Blog
Elizabeth McGowan, April 5, 2010

Whether it was delivering packages via locomotive or launching 3,000 letters inside a guided missile, the U.S. Postal Service has always pushed the envelope when it comes to transportation. But with its fleet of aging delivery trucks -- and limited funds -- the agency needs another innovation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030304085.html
Washington Post
Nicole Norfleet, March 4, 2010

The University of Delaware's vehicle-to-grid technology drove onto the world's stage at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on Friday, Feb. 19, in San Diego, offering a mode of mobility that's “green” in more ways than one.

http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2010/feb/aaasv2g022310.html
UDaily, University of Delaware
March 1, 2010

America’s national security and our economy would improve if we enact laws in 2010 that will reduce the dependence of U.S. transportation upon oil. Doing so would also reduce transportation’s carbon footprint. There are a number of bipartisan bills with widespread stakeholder support that would achieve all of these goals.

http://thehill.com/special-reports-archive/757-energy-...
The Hill
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, February 22, 2010

In the e-mail era, the U.S. Postal Service seems hardly plugged in -- but at least it wants its vehicles to be. The postal service has awarded contracts to several California firms to develop a prototype postal van that would run on electricity. The contracts are part of the service's effort to determine whether it can convert some, or even all, of its 142,000 delivery vans to electricity.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/16/business/la-fi-electric-vehicle16-2010feb16
Los Angeles Times
Jerry Hirsch, February 16, 2010
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/technology/022210_electric_postal_vans.html
Philly.com
Jerry Hirsch, February 16, 2010

Most of the 220,000 U.S. Postal Service vehicles only travel 20 to 25 miles per day making them a good match with the range of an electric vehicle. Hundreds of stops make hybrids and electrics ideal for capturing braking energy and regenerating the batteries.

http://www.cleantechblog.com/2010/02/usps-may-buy-20000-hybrid-and-electric.html
Cleantech Blog
John Addison, February 15, 2010

With around 260,000 vehicles at its disposal, the United States Postal Service operates the biggest civilian fleet in the country. Unfortunately, most of those vehicles get terrible gas mileage: the Grumman postal van only earns around 10mpg, and the 17% of USPS trucks that run on E85 don't fare any better.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1042211_congress-considers-adding-20000-electric-vehicles-to-usps-fleet
The CarConnection.com
Richard Read, February 2, 2010

Backers of Measure Launch Special Website to Promote Its Passage

"The check is in the mail" could take a whole new meaning if a New York congressman and two electric-vehicle advocates have anything to say about it. A bill introduced last month would direct as much as $2 billion toward converting about 15% of the U.S. Postal Service's highly inefficient fleet of 142,000 local-delivery vehicles to electric drive over a three-year period.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/01/bill-would-grant...
Edmunds.com Green Car Advisor blog
Danny King, January 26, 2010

A flurry of lobbying activity may yet put a fleet of electric delivery vans into service at the U.S. Postal Service, reports AutoBlog Green. The House of Representatives introduced the e-Drive bill in December, which would allow for 20,000 electric delivery vans and a network of 24,000 charging stations, but that bill (PDF) has gone nowhere.

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/26/usps-may-get-electric-vehicles-sooner-rather-than-later/
Environmental Leader
January 26, 2010

Old news: that the USPS has used electric vehicles (EVs) since at least 1899.
Newer news: that Congressman Jose Serrano introduced a bill – called the American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act or "e-Drive" (H.R. 4399) last December for the USPS to use a fleet of 20,000 electric delivery vans and to get a network of 24,000 charging stations (with more to come). There is a summary of the bill here (PDF).

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/25/usps-congress-moving-forward-with-electric-vehicle-plan
Autoblog Green
Sebastian Blanco, January 25, 2010

As a kid, seeing postal trucks drive, stop,turn off, restart, or drive, stop, and drive, first put the idea in my head that idling didn't make sense, especially for delivery vehicles. The USPS has had several unsuccessful experiments with EVs. Finally a savvy coalition is coming together to do it right. It starts with "e-Drive," H.R. 4399, a bill recently introduced by NY Rep. Jose Serrano with bipartisan co-sponsors, and a just-unveiled website to build a support campaign.

http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/1089.html
CalCars - The California Cars Initiative
January 25, 2010