US Postal Service plans to buy EV Ford delivery vehicles

The United States Postal Service (USPS) says its revving up its plans to modernize the nation's largest federal fleet of vehicles.

Tuesday the USPS announced it has awarded new contracts to Ford to buy more than 92,000 commercial electric vehicles. The vehicles purchased are Ford E-Transit Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), which according to USPS are "100 percent electric."

The postal service says the left-hand drive vehicles will fill an urgent need and will be the first stage of an initiative to eventually replace all of its gas-powered vehicles with electric.

It's part of the agency's plans, announced in December, to make 75% of its newly acquired vehicles, known as Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, over the next five years electric. After 2026, NGDV purchases will be 100% electric, the agency said.