The United States Postal Service (USPS) operates one of the largest civilian vehicle fleets in the world, with just over 231,000 vehicles, the majority of which are the easily identified and iconic, Chevrolet/Grumman LLV (long-life vehicle), originally also referred to as the CRV (carrier route vehicle). The vast number of vehicles represents one-third of the U.S. government’s entire government-owned fleet. Unfortunately, these are the most polluting vehicles in the country, and daily these vehicles deliver mail in all of our neighborhoods.
Yes, the iconic van with the unmistakable “U.S. Mail” lettering and logo, is a gasoline gross polluter that gets an unremarkable 8.2 gallons to the mile. The good news is that USPS has announced a transition to an electric fleet, the first phase is only going to include 10 percent of their fleet over the next “several years.” While the Biden Administration has placed a priority for “going green,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stated bluntly:
“In our current state, we have to be mindful of what we can afford, and to recognize that the total cost of ownership of electric vehicles is substantially higher than fuel efficient vehicles with internal combustion engines.”
