HARBOR CITY : Post Office Is 1st With Electric-Run Trucks
The Harbor City post office recently became the first in the nation to add electric-powered vehicles to its fleet of delivery trucks.
Created by U.S. Electricar of Santa Rosa, the vehicles run on electricity instead of gasoline. The vehicles can be recharged in three to five hours and each charge lasts 40 to 50 miles.
Officials said the post office was chosen as the first test site because mail trucks travel an average of 25 miles a day and stop close to 600 times on their rounds, conditions ideal for monitoring the power and consistency of the vehicles.
“We’re testing electric vehicles because we intend to play a leadership role in identifying alternative fuels to reduce pollution and protect the environment,” said Tirso del Junco, vice chairman of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors.
The test will last six months to two years and eventually will expand to other post offices around the country.
The South Coast Air Basin, with more than 9 million gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, is the smoggiest region in the nation. Replacing 1,000 gasoline-powered cars with the new electric vehicles can remove 135 tons of pollution from the air each year, officials said.
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