The United States Postal Service will lease a fuel cell vehicle from General Motors Corp. to deliver mail in and around the nation's capital, according to a joint agreement announced today.

As part of the two-year agreement, the U.S. Postal Service will use a GM minivan, powered by a fuel cell. This is the first commercial application of a GM fuel cell vehicle in the U.S.

"The Postal Service sees this as an important test for GM's fuel cell vehicle. The ever-increasing cost of fuel and the need to protect our environment highlights the need to move forward with this initiative, " said Thomas G. Day, Vice President, Engineering. "We are delighted to add this vehicle to the 30,000 alternative fuel vehicles already delivering the mail."

Other applications of GM fuel cells are with Federal Express Corp. (FedEx) and Dow Chemical Co. FedEx has been using a GM minivan to deliver packages in Tokyo for the last year. Dow Chemical is using a GM fuel cell to help power up one of the world's largest chemical plants at a 30-square-mile site in Freeport, Texas.

"The U.S. Postal Service is a perfect partner at this stage in fuel cell development," said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research & development and planning. "Unlike many fleets, USPS uses retail gas stations, yet provides new opportunities to prove out durability and performance. The Postal Service operates everywhere in the U.S., giving us maximum flexibility to expand the relationship in areas or regions where a hydrogen infrastructure gets kicked off."

Routine delivery of the mail in local neighborhoods also will help confirm the safety of fuel cell vehicles to the public, Burns said.

The U.S. Postal Service will begin using the fuel cell vehicle in September, which will coincide with the opening of the nation's first hydrogen pump at a retail gas station. Last year, GM and Shell Hydrogen announced a partnership to provide hydrogen for a GM fleet of fuel cell vehicles operating around Washington, D.C.