LADWP Gives USPS ``Stamp of Approval'' for Electric Vehicle Fleet

    LOS ANGELES--Oct. 18, 2001--Representatives from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), U.S. Postal Service and South Coast Air Quality Management District celebrated as 40 electric carrier route vehicles (ECRVs) were brought on line to begin mail delivery at the Dockweiler post office in the community of South Los Angeles.
    The ceremony culminated a unique partnership between the U.S. Post Office, public and private utilities, and state and federal agencies that helped purchase 500 vehicles in the single largest electric vehicle contract in U.S. history.
    "LADWP is proud to cooperate with the USPS in bringing electric transportation and technology to the forefront," said LADWP General Manager David H. Wiggs. "As more and more people become aware of the benefits of this technology, we will see an upsurge of EV use and the quality of the air we breathe will only improve."
    California is slated to receive 480 of the vehicles with the balance going to the Washington, D.C. area. LADWP contributed $800,000 towards the project and was responsible for installing the charging units and the electrical upgrades for the Dockweiler site.
    Dockweiler is the first of five post offices in the metropolitan Los Angeles area to receive ECRVs. A total of 110 ECRVs will be serving customers in post offices within the LADWP service area. The electrical chargers and electrical upgrades at these post office stations will charge the vehicles overnight during hours of low energy demand to take advantage of the LADWP EV discount-charging rate.
    The 40 ECRVs will reduce tailpipe emissions annually by nearly 11,440 pounds of carbon monoxide, 880 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,280 pounds of nitrogen oxides and more than 200,000 pounds of global warming gases. The vehicles do not create tailpipe emissions, noise, waste oil or exhaust fumes. They require no gasoline and will help reduce our dependency on imported oil.
    "The City of Los Angeles is very proud to be part of this special partnership. Los Angeles, especially the LADWP, truly recognized the importance of environmentally friendly technology," said City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. "We are helping the USPS, a government agency, lead by example in demonstrating the incredible benefits and advantages of electric transportation."
    An added benefit of ECRVs is the fact that they do not waste energy while idling in stalled traffic. It is estimated that in Los Angeles alone, 72 million gallons of gasoline are wasted annually by stalled traffic. The initial purchase cost of the postal EVs is greater than a normal gasoline powered delivery vehicle.
    However, since the EVs cost less to run and maintain, the cost of the postal EV will be less than its gasoline counterpart over the life of the vehicle.
    "Postal vehicles make an average of 300 to 500 stops per day and they average 14.8 miles per carrier route," said James Smith, Los Angeles Postmaster. "These ECRVs are well suited for this type of activity. They will enhance air quality and save the USPS time and money spent on maintenance," he added.
    Missing one night's worth of charging will not adversely affect the range of the vehicle the next day. The vehicles are designed to travel a distance of up to 40 miles, while most mail delivery routes are less than 20 miles. Shorter, predictable drive routes make these vehicles ideal for the U.S. Post Office. The vehicles show that energy efficiency and nonpollution are viable concepts.
    "The USPS, LADWP, SCAQMD and all of our other partnered agencies are committed to improving our air quality through responsible and innovative solutions," said Anupom Ganguli, manager of technology implementation at the South Coast Air Quality Management District. "It shows that we can meet the needs of the economy and the consumer while also enhancing our environment. The USPS can now be proud of the fact that they will be delivering clean air as well as the mail."
    The vehicles were purchased from Ford and are based on the Ford Ranger EV. They travel at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and can travel 40 miles on a single electrical charge. ECRVs have the same 1,000-pound mail carrying capacity as regular fossil-fueled delivery trucks.
    U.S. Post Office maintenance personnel were trained by Ford in the use and operation of the vehicles. Mail carriers underwent one hour of training, while maintenance facility personnel required about eight hours.