Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Leaner and Greener

The USPS will begin testing 10 Navistar eStar electric step vans. This test, part of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded through the Department of Energy.

The new 2-ton vehicles will be tested in three locations: Los Angeles, CA, Manhattan, NY and Fairfax, VA. The 2-year test will collect data on fuel efficiency, energy usage, maintenance and vehicle utilization. then a review will be done on the results before considering whether to expand the program.


“Testing of new technologies is important as we review alternatives to keep our vehicle fleet green and efficient,” said Michael Amato, vice president, Engineering Systems. “If successful, these vehicles will allow us to deliver mail in a way that is environmentally responsible.”


The fiscal year 2010 Annual Sustainability Report shows the Postal Service is meeting or exceeding a number of its sustainability goals — including a 133-percent increase in alternative fuel use. You can read the report at:

http://about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/green/report/2010/welcome.htm

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do hope fuel efficiency isn't the only consideration here, and that carriers will have input. How does it withstand a collision? Is it ergonomic for the letter carrier? Does it have good longevity? How costly are repairs?
Also, to be precise, it was funded by American taxpayers. The Department of Energy simply allocated the funds.

Anonymous said...

USPS is going to be around in 2 years?