New bill would force Louis DeJoy to buy a fleet of mostly electric mail trucks

On Tuesday, Mother Jones reported that a new bill introduced in Congress would block a controversial contract moving forward under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that seeks to purchase a new fleet of mainly gas-powered vehicles rather than switch to an electrified fleet.

"This month, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) introduced a bill that would prohibit the United States Postal Service from moving forward with a contract for a new fleet of mail trucks unless 75 percent of those trucks are electric," reported Abigail Weinberg. "'Weaning ourselves off of fossil fuel dependence is a major part of trying to cope with greenhouse gas emissions,' Connolly said. 'Replenishing [the postal fleet] with vehicles that are electric and hybrid would go a long way towards helping to change the nature of fuel in US vehicles on the roads.'"

"Because the USPS contract with Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense is already finalized, legislators will need to move 'with all deliberate speed' in their last-ditch effort to secure a green postal fleet, Connolly told me," continued the report. "The USPS, with its generally short routes and designated nightly parking spots, ought to be a perfect use case for electric vehicles, but it’s been hampered by bureaucracy, billions of dollars of made-up debt, and a postmaster general seemingly averse to spending and risk."

Defenders of DeJoy's plan have contended that the USPS fleet makes some long-haul deliveries into rural areas that aren't practically serviced by electric vehicles. But, Connolly notes, these deliveries account for only 5 percent of deliveries, and could be managed with a fleet with 25 percent gas-powered vehicles, as he proposes.

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DeJoy, a former executive of private shipping company XPO Logistics, has been focused on cost-cutting at the agency. He has supported some broadly bipartisan plans to do so, like the recently-passed postal reform bill that would eliminate the widely hated pension prepaying requirements and allow the agency to update their technology.

But he has also pushed forward more controversial changes including a sweeping ten-year plan that raises postage prices and slows delivery on some routes. He also oversaw drastic slowdowns and dismantling of sorting machines while mail-in ballots went out in 2020, although he denied having anything to do with those decisions.

Progressive groups have repeatedly called for DeJoy's ouster. President Joe Biden cannot remove him directly, but has been adding new members to the USPS board, replacing some of the members who confirmed him in the first place.