Lawmakers scoff at postal drones

April 26, 2015 Top lawmakers are laughing off the possibility that the U.S. Postal Service might rely on drones in the coming years.

The Postal Service is looking to turn over what is widely viewed as an outdated fleet of delivery vehicles, seeking roughly 180,000 new vehicles to replace the familiar white, boxy trucks that have been in use for as long as a quarter-century.

The chance for a contract that could exceed $5 billion has drawn the interest of a string of corporate heavyweights, including Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Nissan. But it’s also attracted the bid of the Workhorse Group, an Ohio company that wants to pair electric vehicles with package-delivering drones.

Members of Congress who concentrate on postal issues generally agree that the Postal Service could stand to bring its vehicle fleet into the 21st century. But they also said they hadn’t heard of the drone proposal. Once informed, they didn’t seem to believe there’s much potential in a marriage bringing together drones and USPS, which has been criticized for being slow to adapt to the new challenges and opportunities brought by technology.

“Would that be for air mail?” Sen. Tom Carper (Del.), the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees USPS, said with a laugh. “Quote me on that, O.K.? Say when asked, Carper said: ‘Would that be for air mail?’ Obviously not for snail mail.”

Carper added that he’s been meeting with other senators about postal issues, with an upcoming roundtable to focus on the agency’s future challenges. Still, he insisted: “I wouldn’t put my money on the Postal Service using drones any time soon.”

via Lawmakers scoff at postal drones | TheHill