WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States (US) Postal Service is buying 9,250 Ford Motor Co electric vans and 14,000 charging stations as part of a move to switch its fleet to electric vehicles.
The service also is buying another 9,250 internal combustion vans from Fiat Chrysler in North America, now part of Amsterdam-based Stellantis. The Fiat Chrysler and Ford vehicles together will cost just over USD1 billion.
The gas-powered vehicles fill an urgent need, the Postal Service said in a statement on Tuesday.
Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford will start delivering the left-hand-drive E-Transit vans in December of this year, while Fiat Chrysler will start shipping the left-hand-drive gas-powered vehicles in November.
Contracts totalling USD260 million for the charging stations went to Blink Charging Co, Siemens Industry Inc, and Rexel USA Energy Solutions, the Postal Service said.
Charging stations will be installed at several Postal Service facilities.
