Westford to add electric mail truck

Published in the The Lowell Sun, October 10, 2022

WESTFORD — The mail system in Westford has officially gone green.

State Rep. James Arciero secured funding for the implementation of a new electric mail truck during fiscal 2023 state budget deliberations — a crucial step to help reduce the town’s total carbon footprint and begin electrifying its mail carrying fleet.

The $56,000 acquired will go towards replacing one of the town’s 2014 Cargo Vans with an E350 Transit Van, which will usher in a new commitment to green energy for public commodities as well as cut into the current 200-miles-a-week/$600 per month for fuel that the 2014 Cargo model produces.

“As we continue into the 21st century, it’s vital we start implementing solutions to create a more sustainable, environmentally friendly district and Commonwealth,” Arciero said. “These new electric vans are a way to make our town eco-friendlier while also still providing an essential service to the citizens of Westford.”

The steel-unbodied, electric power-assisted steering vehicle is final assembled in Claycomo, Missouri, and will utilize rear wheel drive, rear e-motor layouts energized by a Li-ion, single pack battery configuration.

Safety and control systems for the vehicle include lane-keeping alert, road edge detection, driver alert system (drowsiness detection), pre-collision assistance with automatic emergency braking, auto high beam control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, blind spot assistance and other updated safety features for Westford’s mail carriers. The vehicle’s unique electrified components have an eight-year/100,000 miles warranty.

Westford joins a national movement as local municipalities across Massachusetts seek to electrify town commodities to limit its carbon footprint. The U.S. Postal Service recently pledged to electrify at least 40 percent of its new delivery fleet and be completely EV-powered by 2035, according to the Washington Post.

“I think that the biggest benefit for replacing our 2014 Cargo Van with the E350 Transit Van is that it reinforces the Town of Westford’s commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and electrify as much of our fleet as possible,” Westford Director of Facilities Jeff Goodwin said in an email. “Another benefit will be the savings of switching from fossil fuel to electric.”