Daily printout: Nov. 6

The Postal Service is displaying one of its new zero-emission electric next-generation delivery vehicles outside the organization’s Washington, DC, headquarters.

Also known as NGDVs, these vehicles are integral to the Postal Service’s most ambitious fleet replacement initiative in decades and are already making deliveries to households and businesses around the nation.

The NGDVs provide better visibility, ergonomic seating, air conditioning, safety improvements and user-friendly operations.

“We’re moving forward in modernizing our vehicle fleet — which will bring tremendous benefits to our organization. Under our plan, letter carriers in every state will be able to deliver mail and packages using new and modern vehicles within the next five years,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

“These new vehicles are enhancing safety for our employees, improving our capabilities to deliver on time and modernizing our operations. Our team deserves the best equipment as they work to serve 167 million addresses across the nation. The introduction of these new vehicles aligns with our operational strategy and financial health, setting us up for a future of improved service across the nation. The work being done on this program demonstrates electrification and sustainability efforts can coexist — not conflict — with cost savings, efficiency gains and operational transformation priorities.”

The modernization of the Postal Service’s delivery fleet is part of the organization’s 10-year Delivering for America plan — a $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve the USPS processing, transportation and delivery networks.

The increased cargo capacity of the NGDVs allows more packages to be carried per trip, leading to a reduction in the number of trips. The vehicles are expected to need minimal downtime for maintenance and repairs.

In December 2022, USPS announced plans to acquire 106,000 new vehicles, including at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles. This includes 21,000 commercial off-the-shelf battery electric vehicles and 45,000 battery electric NGDVs, such as the one displayed at USPS headquarters.

In February 2023, the Postal Service placed its first order for 9,250 electric commercial off-the-shelf vehicles as well as for more than 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations.

In total, the Postal Service will invest $9.6 billion for vehicle modernization. The organization will deploy the vehicles during the next five years, prioritizing areas based on delivery volume, infrastructure readiness and operational needs.

The “Mailin’ It!” podcast’s latest episode focuses on the transformation of the Postal Service’s network, and how those changes have paved the way for new products and services, such as USPS Ground Advantage.

The guest is Juan Nadal, the organization’s strategic sales and accounts executive director.

The 23-minute episode is available on Link and other postal websites, as well as most podcast platforms.