Maybe the author got "persuaded" by a competitor who has a fleet of current gas vehicles ready to go for USPS.......
I really like how the author cites a study by the group SAFE (Securing America's Future Energy), which you would think would like clean electric vehicles over existing gas/diesel/hybrid vehicles..... as the study found “an alternative approach using a mix of lightly modified off-the-shelf vehicles could generate nearly $2 billion in savings for USPS.” Off-the-shelf meaning current day vehicles provided by another comapny/competitor.
Car and Driver, on the other hand, listed some of the changes they expect to see in the new Postal vehicles:
The new vans will have safety features now standard on passenger cars and light trucks, including a front airbag, tire-pressure monitors, a backup camera, daytime running lights, and ABS. The postal service has also called for more fuel-efficient, less-polluting powertrains and is considering alternative-fuel vehicles for a large part of its fleet.
As for when the testing will be through, I don't know. I would imagine it would be this quarter, as the USPS would probably take a few months to decide and draw up paperwork, have the lawyers look it over again on both sides, and then still have WKHS try to deliver some vehicles in 2018.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
