SEATTLE, WA - The University of Washington purchased five new electric mail trucks with a $233,000 grant from the Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition, a public/private organization that gives access to grant funds for programs that reduce petroleum consumption in transportation. Reported in The Daily, the University of Washington’s newspaper, the Fleet Services department applied for the grant roughly a year-and-half ago. The university’s Mailing Services department acts as a post office for the university, which involves collecting and distributing mail throughout the campus.

According to the University of Washington’s website, the electric trucks provide a 50-percent improvement in fuel economy over diesel-powered trucks; use regenerative braking to recharge their batteries; save 500 gallons of fuel per year if driven 12,000 miles; reduce CO2 emissions by 10,000 pounds if driven that same distance each year; and reduce overall emissions and noise.