USPS Begins Testing All-Electric Vans, Powered by Motiv

The US Postal Service just took a big step towards a green future. February 5th marks the day when USPS begins testing all-electric vans as part of a year-long program in central California. A an electric vehicle company called Motiv Power Systems has provided their EPIC electric chassis for seven Ford E-450 vans in the USPS fleet, and the first van is now servicing routes in Fresno, California. We at Shipping School wish this program success, and we hope it leads to a sustainable future for USPS!

What’s an EPIC Electric Chassis?

Good question! According to Motiv’s website, their EPIC chassis is a “complete, body-ready, all-electric equivalent to the internal combustion powered chassis fleets use in their medium-duty vehicles.” If you just read that sentence seven times, don’t worry…so did we. In plain English, the idea here is switching out a vehicle’s engine that currently requires gas to an electric engine that runs on charge. That process has been Motiv’s bread and butter since the company formed in 2009.

Interestingly enough, Motiv’s electric chassis is available for the mass market! Their EPIC chassis configures to a variety of specialty vehicles, such as school buses, work trucks, shuttle vans, and more. If you know anyone driving around in a school bus, spread the word.

Will I See Any of These All-Electric USPS Vans on the Road?

Unfortunately, you won’t see these new vans unless you live in or around central California. These seven vehicles are only part of USPS’ fleet in the San Joaquin Valley. The US Postal Service decided to use this area as a testing ground for the program because it is faced with some of the worst pollution density in the entire country. We hope implementing these green vehicles helps clean things up a bit…but it might be like trying to empty out the ocean with a spoon.

What do you think of USPS’ newest additions to their fleet? Leave a comment and let us know!