V2G might go Postal

Almost a month ago I posted a column about Electric Cars and their possible benefits to the Electric Utilities.

Well, yesterday the Christian Science Monitor posted an article about the possible electrification of the United States Postal Service's fleet of delivery vehicles. This article also mentions the possibility of the vehicles being used for power storage so they can then supply power Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) when the grid requires it.

Basically, the nature of the way postal vehicles are used - routes of 25 miles or less a day, lots of stops and starts, low speed - would be perfect for electric. And because the vehicles spend significant time when they're guaranteed to be sitting at "home" then there's no problem getting them charged.

And there are some possibilities for V2G uses, but these vehicles really should be out and about during peak electrical demand hours, so that may not be the best use for them. Still, the postal service surely has to keep some spare vehicles around, yes? Any vehicles not in use on a given day can be designated fair game for V2G, I should think.

The postal service has a fleet of over 200,000 vehicles, over 140,000 of which are archetypal Long Life Vehicles - the postal service vans we picture when we think of a postal vehicle.

Currently those vehicles get spectacularly horrid gas mileage because the way they are used - low speed, lots of stops and starts, remember? - is absolutely non-ideal for efficient fuel use. The postal service might actually SAVE money by having an electric vehicle designed specifically to replace their current delivery vans.

Sounds like a job for GM.