Several companies working on electric postal trucks for US Postal Service testing

LLV Image courtesy Wikimedia

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As reported earlier the US Postal Service has the largest fleet of vehicles in the country, and is interested in adopting electric postal trucks.  They have experimented with electric trucks for over 100 years and there is potential for significant savings in maintenance and fuel expenditures, as well as reducing their greenhouse footprint.  In addition to Bright Automotive there are several other companies developing vehicles for the postal service.  In all five companies have been competitively selected for a 1 year demonstration and validation program.

Way back in October, Smith Electric Vehicles announced a partnership with AM General on an electric postal truck for the USPS.  AM General is a leading manufacturer of military and commercial vehicles, headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, USA and will be manufacturing the chasis.  Smith Electric Vehicles will be providing the drive train.

In January, AC Propulsion and Auto Port announced they will partner in engineering, development and conversion to provide an Electric Vehicle conversion prototype and report for the United States Postal Service.  Rather than build new vehicles outright, this project would refit existing Long Life Vehicles with an electric drive train.  Namely, an AC Propulsion AC-150 system, the same system installed in BMW's Mini-E vehicles.  Their press release the AC-150 system is the "the only V2G capable drive-train worldwide", V2G being a key issue in the USPS feasibility study.

In February, Quantum Fuel Systems they were selected for the demonstration and validation program.  Their press release says Quantum will integrate its Quantum Quiet high efficiency battery electric drive system, into a Grumman LLV.  Grumman builds most of the USPS LLV's.  Quantum is a partner in the design of the Fisker Karma PHEV.   Presumably some of the components developed for the Karma will be used in the USPS vehicle, but not the entire design because the USPS vehicle is a battery electric not PHEV drive train.    In a related announcement, UQM announced an order from Quantum to supply a propulsion system to be incorporated into Quantum's drive system.

Also in February, ZAP announced an "engineering contract" from the USPS.  Under the contract they will convert a gasoline postal truck to run on electricity. 

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