Good points about the importance of political/emotional as well as
technical reasons. In fact the world is constantly changing and things
can become emotionally cool and politically popular over time.
Technology improves. Clunky satellite phones that cost way too much and
didn't work that well have morphed into amazing little internet
communication and computing devices that most people today take for
granted and wouldn't be without.
EVs are climbing the adoption curve. EVs have become cool. People who
buy them tend to say they will never go back. Major automobile companies
are investing heavily into EVs going forward. Local and national
governments, and some auto manufacturers, are putting a cutoff deadline
on building and selling new fossil fuel cars.
Tesla, on stock value, has become worth more than the other major auto
companies combined, or some such, and their cars out-perform gas cars on
multiple metrics. They can't make them fast enough to satisfy demand.
We're a long way past the early EV experiments, lead acid batteries,
really slow charging, and pain cars.
Amazon, FedEx, etc. are moving into EV delivery trucks. There are spiffy
EV police cars popping up in local police departments. Turns out there's
money to be saved, along with the technical advantages.
So things change. For an institution that prides itself on having a
long-term view, it's past time for the post office to get with the
program. I'll bet that at this point a lot of post office employees
would agree - along with the bean counters who can foresee significant
operational savings which the post office REALLY needs.
IOW, just because something didn't work before, within the context and
technology of earlier times, doesn't automatically mean it won't/can't
work now when the context and technology has changed and the momentum
continues to accelerate.
They used to deliver mail with horses.
Cheers,
-Jamie
PS. Yes, gas engine mechanics may not be happy, (nor will the oil
industry lobby). But if it's done right, delivery drivers and mail
carriers, by and large, will be THRILLED to move beyond their ancient
rattletraps into modern EVs.
On 2/25/21 12:05 AM, Lee Hart via EV wrote:
Steves via EV wrote:
Good article about postal vehicles and why they should be electric.
https://www.greatbusinessschools.org/usps-long-life-vehicle/
Biggest take aways:
- 96% of them drive less than 40 miles a day.
- current vehicles get 9 MPG
- 83% are urban (think pollution)
Such a perfect fit for an EV
Ah, but those are the technical reasons. What counts are the political
and emotional reasons.
The USPS has tried EVs quite a few times. They have always "failed"; not
for technical reasons, but because the management and postal workers
disliked them, and opposed them in every way possible. In extreme cases,
the vehicles were even sabatoged to make *sure* they failed.
My dad was a career postal employee. His "inside view" was that the
postal union hated EVs; they were a disruptive technology that got in
the way of "how we've always done things". EVs put limits on how and
where postal workers could drive them. There was extra record-keeping,
and it was harder to charge them than to put gas in. EVs also threatened
the postal mechanic's jobs.
Lower-level managers were also opposed. They didn't like to be told from
"on high" how to do things. The postal bureaucracy is strong and deep,
and mightily opposed to change. It's going to be mighty hard to overcome
that prejudice and inertia.
Lee Hart
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