The USPS is trying to work out the various disputes regarding its new local postal delivery trucks. Earlier this week, the Biden administration took steps to hold up an $11.3 billion dollar contract for new vehicles, saying too many of them would be gasoline-powered.

Lawsuits were filed earlier by some of the companies that did not win the contract to supply the new vehicles.

In a press release distributed Sunday morning, the U.S. postal agency said it is willing to cooperate with other government agencies. It also points out that the initial order includes 5,000 electric vehicles.

“Our commitment to an electric fleet remains ambitious given the pressing vehicle and safety needs of our aging fleet as well as our dire financial condition,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy [right] in the press release.

Two days later, at the USPS Board of Governors meeting, DeJoy added, “We have an urgent need to replace our 30-year-old delivery vehicles that are powered by inefficient gasoline engines and that lack modern day safety features.”

The USPS says even the new gasoline-powered vehicles are an environmental improvement: “The NGDV with an internal combustion engine would be a more fuel-efficient vehicle as compared to the current Long Life Vehicle (LLV), despite being larger.”

The entire press release is here.