Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Administration (NCDOA) Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell toured the new NCDOA Mail Service Center and viewed the new fleet of NCDOA electric vans that are used for mail delivery.
“North Carolina is focused on transitioning to a clean transportation future, and state government is leading the way,” Governor Cooper said. “These electric vans are just one example of how our state is working to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost our economy and save taxpayers money.”
“As the business manager for the state of North Carolina, our goal is not only to provide excellent customer service but services that will help reduce our state’s carbon footprint,” said Secretary Cashwell. “This is just one example of the many ways we are helping to address climate change and transition North Carolina to a clean energy economy.”
NCDOA has seven new Ford E-Transit cargo vans and six charging stations that are used to transport mail between state government agencies. The electric vans are in their first month of operation and are charged onsite at the Mail Service Center.
When fully charged, the vans can travel up to 126 miles before needing to recharge. Together, the vans travel 97,000 miles annually, resulting in fuel cost savings of more than $14,000 dollars per year. Replacing fuel-operated vehicles with electric vans will save approximately 43 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent on annual basis. Additionally, the state is expected to save approximately 40% of maintenance costs compared to their gas-powered equivalents over the life of the vehicle.
The Mail Service Center (MSC) was created in July 1999 as a courier service for mail and packages between state government agencies, universities and community colleges that would save the state money. The MSC handles 8.7 million letters and packages annually, including samples to and from the North Carolina State Laboratory.
In January 2022, the Governor signed Executive Order 246 which lays out the next steps to transition North Carolina to a clean energy economy while centering environmental justice and creating economic opportunities across the state. The Order also takes steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution from the transportation sector, the state’s leading source of emissions, by establishing goals of having 1.25 million zero-emission vehicles registered and 50% of all new light-duty vehicle sales being zero-emission by 2030. Executive Order 246 also directs the North Carolina Department of Transportation to work with public and private sectors to create a Clean Transportation Plan that will craft solutions for a cleaner and more accessible, resilient transportation system.
Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 246 expanded upon long-standing climate leadership, including Executive Order 80 signed in 2018, which took a number of actions to reduce emissions and transition to clean energy including directing North Carolina state government cabinet agencies to prioritize zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the purchase or lease of new vehicles and use ZEVs for agency business travel when feasible. To support the implementation of this directive, NCDOA annually updates the North Carolina Motor Fleet ZEV Plan, a report that overviews the state’s adoption of ZEVs and identifies additional strategies to advance the ZEV transition.
Many NCDOA divisions were involved in securing the electric van fleet, including State Property Division, State Construction Division, State Purchase & Contract Division and the Motor Fleet Management.
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