WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after an announcement today from the United States Postal Service (USPS) saying they intend to expand their electric vehicle purchase order by at least fifty percent:
“Electric vehicles are the future of the automotive industry and that is why I have been pressing the Postal Service to purchase more of them as they continue to add more Next Generation Delivery Vehicles and other vehicles to their fleet. Today, I was pleased to see that the Postal Service plans to increase their investments in more energy efficient vehicles that will help reduce the cost of operating their fleet in the long run. I will continue to push for every part of the postal fleet to be environmentally-friendly and union-made, and will continue my oversight efforts to ensure the Postal Service can provide timely service to the American people while deploying better delivery vehicles that keep postal workers safe while on the job.”
Peters has long pressed the Postal Service to acquire more electric vehicles. He convened a committee briefing in April with USPS to discuss efforts to modernize the Postal Service’s aging delivery vehicle fleet – including by acquiring electric vehicles and prioritizing union-made vehicles. Last year, he sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the USPS Board of Governors urging them to prioritize the acquisition of electric vehicles to ensure the fleet is sustainable for the Postal Service and for our environment.
Peters has also led efforts to modernize the Postal Service and protect their nearly 250-year tradition of reliable delivery. His historic, bipartisan legislation to set the Postal Service on a more sustainable financial footing and support the goal of providing long-term reliable service across the country was signed into law. In 2020, Peters championed legislation to secure a $10 billion direct payment to the Postal Service to help recover from pandemic-related losses. He also conducted an investigation into operational changes at the Postal Service in 2020 that resulted in significant delays. Following Peters’ investigation, the Postal Service reversed many of these changes and service has significantly improved.
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