The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) requires that 75% of all light-duty vehicle acquisitions (leases or purchases) be alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). Initially, the requirement was set at 25% for fiscal year (FY) 1996, 33% in FY 1997, 50% in FY 1998, and then 75% for all subsequent years.
The U.S. Postal Service strives to acquire AFVs whenever they are available to meet their operational requirements. Consequently, the Postal Service has met or exceeded the EPACT requirement in ten out of the last eleven years as shown in the table below. Most notably, the Postal Service exceeded (by over 14,000 credits) the total statutory requirement for AFV acquisitions over the past eleven years.
Fiscal Year
Light-duty vehicle acquisitions
Total AFVs and other credits*
USPS Actual EPAct %
Required EPAct %
USPS excess AFV credits*
Cumulative excess AFV credits*
Total inventory of light-duty AFVs
FY1996
10,071
2,656
26%
25%
138
138
6,748
FY1997
2,916
825
28%
33%
-137
1
7,653
FY1998
12,223
10,767
88%
50%
4,656
4,657
18,397
FY1999
13,865
13,267
96%
75%
2,868
7,525
31,560
FY2000
2,838
2,452
86%
75%
324
7,849
33,554
FY2001
1,405
1,189
85%
75%
135
7,984
31,110
FY2002
855
641
75%
75%
0
7,984
32,001
FY2003
9,197
7,861
85%
75%
963
8,947
37,573
FY2004
1,434
1,126
79%
75%
50
8,997
36,852
FY2005
2,302
1,387
80%
75%
112
9,109
37,618
FY2006
2,669
3,135
117%
75%
1,134
10,243
39,816
FY2007
1,710
5,889
344%
75%
4,179
14,422
43,563
*AFV credits include
light-duty non-exempt AFVs, dedicated medium-duty
vehicles, dedicated heavy-duty vehicles, zero emission
vehicles, and Biodiesel fuel usage credits.