WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defended the agency's plan to buy a rising number of electric delivery vehicles.

In 2023, Congress gave USPS $3 billion as part of a $430 billion climate bill to buy EVs and charging infrastructure. It plans to buy some 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028. DeJoy said at a U.S. House hearing Tuesday the EV purchase plan works for USPS and added the zero-emission vehicles have operational cost benefits.

DeJoy said USPS bought 28,000 vehicles this year -- and 22,000 were gas-powered. He said purchases in 2024 will be around "50-50" EVs and gas-powered.