Comments on: Postal Service Could Get $2 Billion To Electrify 20,000 Vehicles http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/ What is the future of fuel? What's new? What's next? Since 2007, Gas 2 has covered a rapidly changing world coming to terms with its oil addiction. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:40:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: juangault http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-13653 juangault Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:59:43 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-13653 USPS delivery vehicles might be a very good platform to try different "real-life" platforms or variances of the electric vehicle idea. While the price is high, it might end up saving some private industry trial and error, with resulting consumer reluctance, if things didn't go right. Anyway, if Chrysler does build the vehicle, the steering wheel should be on the curb side. I was wondering, has the extra cost of making the delivery trucks out of aluminum has been fully amortized? USPS delivery vehicles might be a very good platform to try different “real-life” platforms or variances of the electric vehicle idea. While the price is high, it might end up saving some private industry trial and error, with resulting consumer reluctance, if things didn’t go right. Anyway, if Chrysler does build the vehicle, the steering wheel should be on the curb side. I was wondering, has the extra cost of making the delivery trucks out of aluminum has been fully amortized?

]]> By: juangault http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-37294 juangault Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:59:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-37294 USPS delivery vehicles might be a very good platform to try different "real-life" platforms or variances of the electric vehicle idea. While the price is high, it might end up saving some private industry trial and error, with resulting consumer reluctance, if things didn't go right. Anyway, if Chrysler does build the vehicle, the steering wheel should be on the curb side. I was wondering, has the extra cost of making the delivery trucks out of aluminum has been fully amortized? USPS delivery vehicles might be a very good platform to try different “real-life” platforms or variances of the electric vehicle idea. While the price is high, it might end up saving some private industry trial and error, with resulting consumer reluctance, if things didn’t go right. Anyway, if Chrysler does build the vehicle, the steering wheel should be on the curb side. I was wondering, has the extra cost of making the delivery trucks out of aluminum has been fully amortized?

]]> By: ChuckL http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-13652 ChuckL Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:14:19 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-13652 Let's see, The Ford Transit is supposed to sell for less than #30,000. That would provide over 66,000 new fully electric vehicles. Converting the existing vehicles would seem to be STUPID. Let’s see, The Ford Transit is supposed to sell for less than #30,000. That would provide over 66,000 new fully electric vehicles.

Converting the existing vehicles would seem to be STUPID.

]]> By: ChuckL http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-37293 ChuckL Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:14:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-37293 Let's see, The Ford Transit is supposed to sell for less than #30,000. That would provide over 66,000 new fully electric vehicles. Converting the existing vehicles would seem to be STUPID. Let’s see, The Ford Transit is supposed to sell for less than #30,000. That would provide over 66,000 new fully electric vehicles.

Converting the existing vehicles would seem to be STUPID.

]]> By: C. Shelby http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-13651 C. Shelby Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:54:02 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-13651 FedEx and UPS charge more and are not required by law to deliver a letter to Alaska in the bitter ice for the same price as it costs to deliver it down the street. USPS is bound by Universal Service to deliver to far reaching and VERY costly locations that FedEx and UPS don't touch because it's not profitable and will probably surcharge if it's not profitable. In fact, USPS frequently completes the "last mile" for FedEx and may also be doing this for UPS. I've very proud of all the green efforts USPS is testing and trying to implement. USPS has a huge carbon footprint and any experiments that are successful are likely to be duplicated by other companies. These "tests" will not only show what is viable but will invest the needed money into these green technolgies so they can expand and grow making them affordable to others. As for the $100K per car. It may sound pricey but charging stations have to be build with infrastructure to support them in many different locations. Mechanics have to be trained and supplied with parts to fix these vehicles down the road (USPS has a full staff of mechanics and stations that fix USPS vehicles). I'm sure there other costs that have to be considered above the vehicle. If there is money left over, it will probably be invested in more vehicles. FedEx and UPS charge more and are not required by law to deliver a letter to Alaska in the bitter ice for the same price as it costs to deliver it down the street. USPS is bound by Universal Service to deliver to far reaching and VERY costly locations that FedEx and UPS don’t touch because it’s not profitable and will probably surcharge if it’s not profitable. In fact, USPS frequently completes the “last mile” for FedEx and may also be doing this for UPS.

I’ve very proud of all the green efforts USPS is testing and trying to implement. USPS has a huge carbon footprint and any experiments that are successful are likely to be duplicated by other companies. These “tests” will not only show what is viable but will invest the needed money into these green technolgies so they can expand and grow making them affordable to others.

As for the $100K per car. It may sound pricey but charging stations have to be build with infrastructure to support them in many different locations. Mechanics have to be trained and supplied with parts to fix these vehicles down the road (USPS has a full staff of mechanics and stations that fix USPS vehicles). I’m sure there other costs that have to be considered above the vehicle. If there is money left over, it will probably be invested in more vehicles.

]]> By: C. Shelby http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-37292 C. Shelby Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:54:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-37292 FedEx and UPS charge more and are not required by law to deliver a letter to Alaska in the bitter ice for the same price as it costs to deliver it down the street. USPS is bound by Universal Service to deliver to far reaching and VERY costly locations that FedEx and UPS don't touch because it's not profitable and will probably surcharge if it's not profitable. In fact, USPS frequently completes the "last mile" for FedEx and may also be doing this for UPS. I've very proud of all the green efforts USPS is testing and trying to implement. USPS has a huge carbon footprint and any experiments that are successful are likely to be duplicated by other companies. These "tests" will not only show what is viable but will invest the needed money into these green technolgies so they can expand and grow making them affordable to others. As for the $100K per car. It may sound pricey but charging stations have to be build with infrastructure to support them in many different locations. Mechanics have to be trained and supplied with parts to fix these vehicles down the road (USPS has a full staff of mechanics and stations that fix USPS vehicles). I'm sure there other costs that have to be considered above the vehicle. If there is money left over, it will probably be invested in more vehicles. FedEx and UPS charge more and are not required by law to deliver a letter to Alaska in the bitter ice for the same price as it costs to deliver it down the street. USPS is bound by Universal Service to deliver to far reaching and VERY costly locations that FedEx and UPS don’t touch because it’s not profitable and will probably surcharge if it’s not profitable. In fact, USPS frequently completes the “last mile” for FedEx and may also be doing this for UPS.

I’ve very proud of all the green efforts USPS is testing and trying to implement. USPS has a huge carbon footprint and any experiments that are successful are likely to be duplicated by other companies. These “tests” will not only show what is viable but will invest the needed money into these green technolgies so they can expand and grow making them affordable to others.

As for the $100K per car. It may sound pricey but charging stations have to be build with infrastructure to support them in many different locations. Mechanics have to be trained and supplied with parts to fix these vehicles down the road (USPS has a full staff of mechanics and stations that fix USPS vehicles). I’m sure there other costs that have to be considered above the vehicle. If there is money left over, it will probably be invested in more vehicles.

]]> By: Greg Calise http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-13650 Greg Calise Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:25:26 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-13650 Gee, 2 billion dollars for 20,000 electric vehicles. That comes to $100,000 per vehicle. Sounds pretty expensive. Gee, 2 billion dollars for 20,000 electric vehicles. That comes to $100,000 per vehicle. Sounds pretty expensive.

]]> By: Greg Calise http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-37291 Greg Calise Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:25:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-37291 Gee, 2 billion dollars for 20,000 electric vehicles. That comes to $100,000 per vehicle. Sounds pretty expensive. Gee, 2 billion dollars for 20,000 electric vehicles. That comes to $100,000 per vehicle. Sounds pretty expensive.

]]> By: Robert Moffitt http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-13649 Robert Moffitt Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:06:10 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-13649 Thirty percent is on the high end of the various numbers you hear tossed around on the lower miles-per-gallon you will get on E85 vs. gasoline. Many real-world users of E85 (including myself) do much better than that. Interestingly, many of the same folks who bash E85's lower MPG ignore gasoline's lower MPG when compared to diesel. The post office (Coon Rapids, MN) near my home uses E85 in its delivery vehicles. The station is less than a block from the post office, and E85 is always 40 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. So for us, it works, especially in Minnesota, were our winters would be tough on many all-electric vehicles. Thirty percent is on the high end of the various numbers you hear tossed around on the lower miles-per-gallon you will get on E85 vs. gasoline. Many real-world users of E85 (including myself) do much better than that.

Interestingly, many of the same folks who bash E85′s lower MPG ignore gasoline’s lower MPG when compared to diesel.

The post office (Coon Rapids, MN) near my home uses E85 in its delivery vehicles. The station is less than a block from the post office, and E85 is always 40 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. So for us, it works, especially in Minnesota, were our winters would be tough on many all-electric vehicles.

]]> By: Robert Moffitt http://gas2.org/2010/01/28/postal-service-could-get-2-billion-to-electrify-20000-vehicles/#comment-37290 Robert Moffitt Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:06:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=4577#comment-37290 Thirty percent is on the high end of the various numbers you hear tossed around on the lower miles-per-gallon you will get on E85 vs. gasoline. Many real-world users of E85 (including myself) do much better than that. Interestingly, many of the same folks who bash E85's lower MPG ignore gasoline's lower MPG when compared to diesel. The post office (Coon Rapids, MN) near my home uses E85 in its delivery vehicles. The station is less than a block from the post office, and E85 is always 40 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. So for us, it works, especially in Minnesota, were our winters would be tough on many all-electric vehicles. Thirty percent is on the high end of the various numbers you hear tossed around on the lower miles-per-gallon you will get on E85 vs. gasoline. Many real-world users of E85 (including myself) do much better than that.

Interestingly, many of the same folks who bash E85′s lower MPG ignore gasoline’s lower MPG when compared to diesel.

The post office (Coon Rapids, MN) near my home uses E85 in its delivery vehicles. The station is less than a block from the post office, and E85 is always 40 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. So for us, it works, especially in Minnesota, were our winters would be tough on many all-electric vehicles.

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