The United States Postal Service is buying 180,000 new vehicles. Our government plans to spend $6 billion dollars on new trucks to deliver neighborhood mail, and they only make this big of a fleet purchase about every 25 years! In a moment when more and more companies and individuals are turning to sustainable energy, it is time our USPS does the same. President Obama recently announced the federal government will cut carbon emissions by 40% over the next 10 years. What better place to start than with the new fleet of postal vehicles?

This petition is calling on the United States Post Office (USPS) to purchase electric vehicles for their new fleet. The zero carbon emission vehicles would send a strong message we are committed to sustainable energy and combating climate change.

The big automakers are realizing how critical electric cars are to their business. All either have an electric model available or in development. Tesla, a premier electric car manufacturer, has stormed the car world. The reason for the growing popularity of the electric car is simple. The costs over time, whether maintenance, fuel, or to our environment, are significantly less. This means big savings for us taxpayers if the USPS buys electric trucks. 180,000 postal vehicles going electric would help us save money and help the environment.

The USPS needs to hear from us now. They are already in discussions with the big automakers and are expected to make a decision by this summer. The vehicles they choose will be around for years and shouldn’t be relics on the road of a time when we depended on fossil fuels.

Choosing electric trucks makes good sense for short distance work and it makes a statement of how we want our government to move forward when it comes to energy investment. Please sign and share my petition calling on the United States Postal Service to purchase electric trucks for their new fleet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/06/automobiles/the-mail-truck-is-a-classic-and-thats-a-problem-for-a-modern-post-office.html?_r=0