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In a major reversal, the US Postal Service (USPS) has announced that it will ensure that 75% of new vehicles purchased by 2028 will be electric. By 2026, that will increase to 100% of purchases.

The USPS announced in a press release that it expects to acquire at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles from defense contractor Oshkosh as part of its 106,000 vehicle acquisition plan for deliveries between now and 2028. Further, 21,000 additional commercial off-the-shelf vehicles are also expected to be battery electric.

It’s also formally declaring the decision today at 1 p.m. in front of the Postal Service Headquarters Building in Washington, DC. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy; John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation; Brenda Mallory, chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality; and Ali Zaidi, assistant to the president and national climate adviser, will be making the announcement.

The EVs the USPS purchases will begin to replace its aging delivery fleet of over 220,000 vehicles. The current old mail trucks – Grumman LLVs – get a pathetic 8.2 mpg. They don’t have air conditioning or air bags.

The funding comes from $3 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act ($1.3 for vehicles, $1.7 for charging stations). $1.29 billion will be allocated to purchasing electric trucks and $1.71 billion will be spent to upgrade BEV support infrastructure at USPS offices.

Another $6.6 billion from the USPS that will mainly go toward heavy-duty trucks and other non-delivery vehicles, for a total of almost $10 billion to electrify the largest civilian fleet in the federal government.

As Electrek‘s Jameson Dow noted in August, “It’s the latest move in the long saga for postal service electrification and effectively ‘calls USPS’s bluff’ by supplying as much funding as the USPS claimed a 100% BEV fleet would cost.”

In April, several environmental groups and over a dozen states took the USPS to court over its plan to double down on fossil fuel mail trucks. 

Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign, said in a statement:

Finally we’re seeing the common-sense decision to move the government’s largest fleet of vehicles to all-electric, a massive win for climate and public health.

Instead of receiving pollution with their daily mail packages, communities across the US will get the relief of cleaner air. The way we get to a 100% electric fleet matters – these vehicles must be union-built and made with materials from a clean supply chain.

Electrek’s Take

Finally, the USPS got there with with electrification. This long journey has been politically fraught and arduous. The largest civilian fleet in the federal government going electric means common sense has prevailed.

This move will greatly reduce emissions in the USPS fleet. It will make daily journeys so much more comfortable and safe and healthier for postal workers driving the trucks. And it will ultimately save the USPS money.


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Report: Ferrari were SO impressed by the Xiaomi SU7, they bought one

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Report: Ferrari were SO impressed by the Xiaomi SU7, they bought one

With its tire-blistering acceleration and record-setting performance, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra has been getting attention throughout the auto industry, impressing everyone who’s seen it. That “everyone” now seems to include the OG supercar brand, itself.

CarNewsChina posted pictures from a Weibo user that reportedly show a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra exiting the storied Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. According to a Chinese blogger going by 西米露在博洛尼亚 (which seems to translate to “Sago Dessert in Bologna”), the prancing horse brand is actively benchmarking the Chinese hypercar for its own upcoming EV.

The SU7 Ultra was definitely coming from inside Ferrari’s facility. After verification, we learned this specific vehicle was officially purchased by Ferrari for testing, and the development of their next-generation electric platform.

西米露在博洛尼亚

Yet another Chinese auto blogger, 苏黎世贝勒爷, claims that Ferrari representatives visited Xiaomi headquarters last year, allegedly to discuss the joint development of next-generation high-performance EV motors.

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra made its debut last year, promising 1,548 hp, sub 2.0-second 0-60 mph times, and a top speed well over 200 mph – all at a price lower than a Tesla Model S Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The car sold out almost immediately after it was unveiled, racking up some 50,000 orders almost overnight.

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The new electric benchmark


Xiaomi SU7 Ultra at Fiorano; via Weibo user Piniluoshan.

In the automotive world, “benchmarking” is a process in which car companies systematically tear down each others’ competitive products to compare everything from sound insulation, vehicle ride and handling, component materials, and even manufacturing methods against their own or against other industry leaders. The goal is to evaluate performance, cost, quality, and other key metrics, effectively figuring out “where they stand” in the market.

If Ferrari really did buy an SU7 to benchmark it against their own upcoming electric supercar, it’s more than just a curiosity – it could mean that the highest tiers of automotive innovation have shifted from West to East. Maybe forever.

Featured image via Xiaomi; sources throughout the post.


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Chevy teases new Bolt w/NACS, front fascia redesign, rear brake lights

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Chevy teases new Bolt w/NACS, front fascia redesign, rear brake lights

We’re finally getting our first teases of the upgraded 2027 Chevy Bolt, built on GM’s battery/motor platform formerly known as Ultium. So far, so good for the vehicle, which will be revealed later this Fall.

Chevy took to social media today to tease the 2027 Chevy Bolt, saying, “You asked, we listened. The #ChevyBolt is back and better than ever. More this fall. 👀”

Chevy ended the original Bolt program with the 2023 model, which was loved by a loyal group of customers (including myself). Some of the major gripes, including charging speed and rear brake lights, already look to be addressed. Also, a new more aggressive fascia is debuting.

Electrek’s take

GM has done an incredible job keeping the 2027 Bolt under wraps. It will be the first GM vehicle with a native NACS port after the Cadillac Optiq-V, which we spied in Seattle last week.

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Hopefully, the new Bolt will have improved charging speeds over and above the 54kW that previous Bolts adhered to. One possible downgrade is that the old Bolt’s amazing wireless CarPlay/Android Auto system will likely be replaced by GM’s move to Android’s built-in experience. For a few years, the Chevy Bolt was the most affordable long-range EV, and it won our 2022 Electrek car of the year for its versatility and price.

I would, of course, like to see the new Bolt as a hot hatchback, but GM CEO Mary Barra has hinted that it will likely take more of the EUV’s SUV form factor. Things like AWD options, SuperCruise, pricing, power and range are yet to be revealed, but stay tuned to Electrek for the latest on Bolt developments.

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Tesla tops another ADAS test, Hyundai tops range tests, and Texas gets BESS

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Tesla tops another ADAS test, Hyundai tops range tests, and Texas gets BESS

On today’s test-acular episode of Quick Charge, it’s a new day and a new Chinese ADAS test for Tesla to conquer – but this one’s got a LOT more pedestrian carnage to parse through! We’ve also got some great e-bike deals from Retrospec and a bladder-busting Hyundai.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec – the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure! To that end, we’ve got a pair of Retrospec e-bike reviews followed up by the updated Hyundai IONIQ 6 with nearly 350 miles of range from its updated long-range battery. With that, Hyundai now has the longest range Korean EV on the market, while Texas is adding megawatts of battery energy storage to beef up its troubled grid, and it’s doing so faster and cheaper than ever before.

PlusQuick Charge listeners can get an extra 10% off the price of their next awesome e-bike by using code ELECTREK10 at retrospec.com!

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (most weeks, anyway). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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