WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is buying 9,250 Ford Motor Co. electric vans and 14,000 charging stations as part of a move to transition its fleet to electric vehicles.
The service is also buying an additional 9,250 internal combustion vans from Fiat Chrysler in North America, which is now part of Amsterdam-based Stellantis. Fiat Chrysler and Ford vehicles will together cost just over $1 billion.
Gas-powered vehicles meet an urgent need, the Postal Service said in a statement Tuesday.
Ford, based in Dearborn, Mich., will begin shipping the left-hand-drive E-Transit minivans in December this year, while Fiat Chrysler will begin shipping the left-hand-drive gasoline vehicles in November.
Contracts totaling $260 million for the charging stations have been awarded to Blink Charging Co., Siemens Industry Inc. and Rexel USA Energy Solutions, the Postal Service said.
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Charging stations will be installed at several Postal Service facilities, including sorting and delivery centers, starting in the third quarter of this year.
In December, the Postal Service announced that it would dramatically increase the number of electric delivery trucks – and will switch to all-electric for new purchases from 2026.
The Post Office said it was spending nearly $10 billion to electrify its aging fleet, including installing modern charging infrastructure at hundreds of postal facilities nationwide and purchasing at least 66,000 trucks. electricity delivery over the next five years. The spending includes $3 billion in funding approved as part of a landmark climate and health policy passed by Congress last year.