Why Mailing and Shipping Entities Are Embracing Electric Vehicles

Mailing and shipping entities are always on the move – trying their best to ensure on-time deliveries across many miles in every country. Lately, the city fleets of entities like Amazon, UPS and FEDEX have been turning to electric delivery vans. But what’s driving the change?

Mail fleets are looking to go green.

Mail fleet vehicles are some of the most widely used around the world. On any given day, you may see two or three whizzing down your street. Some of the most well-known mail fleets, USPS, UPS, FEDEX and Amazon, have become some of our most relied-upon companies during this last year, as online shopping and grocery delivery services skyrocket in popularity.

But the question is, could a mail fleet fully electrify?

There are pros and cons to this argument, as there are with any massive change. You’ll have those rallying for, and those pushing against. But with sustainability trending and still on the rise, you have plenty of companies looking to lower emissions and cut their carbon footprints – and that may just reflect the want to go electric.

Why change to electric delivery vehicles?

Mailing fleets have been discussing the switch – or at least, the gradual move – to electric vehicles for some time now. Many of the reasons given are a desire to lower costs, maximize productivity, improve employee safety and freight security, decrease emissions, and last but not least, support their overall organization-wide sustainability efforts. 

One fleet in particular that’s garnished a lot of attention in the last week belongs to none other – than the U.S. Postal Service. It’s no secret that they planned to electrify their fleet. Just within the last week, the USPS awarded a deal to American industrial vehicle designer and maker, Oshkosh, allowing them to replace their aging fleet. Roughly 10% will be electric, and the other 90% the I.C.E counterpart. 

It shouldn’t come as a shock that the USPS and other fleets like UPS, FEDEX and Amazon are embracing electric delivery vans. Within the freight and logistics industry, there are many that think a mail delivery truck is one of the smartest types of vehicles to electrify. 

Why?

Well, the answer is pretty simple. They drive the same set route every day, returning to their base and sitting there idle every night – allowing for charging infrastructure at post office yards to provide enough power to charge the vehicles overnight. These vehicles are also known for driving slow speeds and making frequent stops – which, can provide regenerative charging that results in a longer range. One could even make the argument that their overall lifecycle is longer and more cost-effective – primarily due to sharp reduction in petroleum fuel costs and less maintenance.

So, even with a higher purchase price – when mail fleets electrify, it could mean a more efficient mail delivery service, less trucks that are down as well as a more efficient and streamlined operations process.

The bottom line

Whether or not mailing fleets decide to fully electrify can, many times, be based upon their operating budgets for the year. Many have noted that the USPS would have liked to fully electrify, but with the current higher cost of electric vehicles than a traditional internal-combustion engine, it may be a slower initial move to full electrification. That is, if a fully-electrified fleet is indeed the goal.

As with any new technology though, it’s important to understand your fleet and it’s data by doing a thorough analysis to determine whether or not electric vehicles are suited to your organization and region of operation. Over the last few years, Utilimarc has been working with electric vehicle data with the aim to help fleets understand their options when considering new vehicle additions for their organizations in the future.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Utilimarc can help you make the most of your electric vehicle data, schedule a live demo with our analytics team.

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