KEY WEST -- The U.S. Postal Service delivers mail by car, truck, plane, boat, ferry, helicopter, bicycle, foot, and in the Grand Canyon, even mule.

Now, in Key West and seven other warm-climate cities, the Postal Service is testing an economical and environmentally friendly vehicle to add to its diverse fleet: an electric three-wheeler called the T3.

''We're making history,'' Key West Postmaster Jane Evans said. ``Our employees are excited to be a pilot site.''

The T3, made by California-based T3 Motion, has been used for two years by law enforcement and airport security across the country.

The T3 is similar to a Segway, and the driver stands while navigating it.

The new T3, designed specifically for postal workers, includes two side compartments for mail. The three-wheeler pulls a small trailer, equipped with a GPS and anti-theft alarm system powered by a solar panel.

The T3 with trailer can carry 450 pounds of mail, the equivalent of a daily route for one carrier.

''It's perfect for us because we're a very consolidated area,'' said Evans, who envisions using the T3 for 12 of the island city's 38 routes. ``And in Key West, the highest speed limit is only 30 mph.''

Residents already are used to slow-moving bikes, scooters, electric cars, Conch trains and chickens.

The T3 is very maneuverable, able to drive down narrow alleyways and some sidewalks of the often congested downtown Key West.

The three-wheeler travels up to 12 mph and has a range of 40 miles on a single charge of the rechargeable battery.

The cost to operate per day: about 25 cents.

Evans said it costs between $13 and $15 per day to fuel the propane-powered neighborhood delivery trucks now being used by most carriers in Key West.

With 302 mail delivery days per year, the T3 has the potential to save Key West's Post Office branch about $50,000 annually.

Each T3 costs about $14,000, but the price could be lower if the Postal Service orders a large quantity, Evans said.

Evans also said there is potential for significant maintenance savings.

The neighborhood delivery trucks cost about $6,000 per year to maintain, while the T3s are expected to cost less than $500.

''It's also great publicity for the post office that we're finally going green,'' said Key West mail carrier Andrew Butler, who used the T3 on his Historic District route Thursday.

''There's no carbon imprint on society,'' said Scott Linder, regional sales manager for California-based T3 Motion that designed the T-3 specifically for use by mail carriers.

Butler said there have been adjustments. He's getting used to standing -- and becoming the target of tourists' cameras.

''I've become a photo op,'' Butler said. ``But I don't mind.''

He gladly poses for pictures, just as he smiles when asked for directions -- a good ambassador for Key West.

Gill Russon of Birmingham, England, snapped several photographs, saying ``I think it's quite cute. And blimey, only 25 cents a day, that's really cheap, isn't it?''

When Butler stopped near the Shipwreck Museum, tourist Darlene McQueen said: ``I want one.''

She's a mail carrier in Sanger, Texas.

The T-3 also is being tested in St. Augustine; Atlantic Beach; Ocala; Phoenix; Sun City, Ariz.; San Diego, and Irvine, Calif.

''Key West was chosen because of the climate and individual routes that would be conducive to a slower moving vehicle,'' said Debra Fetterly, spokeswoman for the South Florida Postal Service. ``We couldn't have it on a city route in a busy area.''

She said the Postal Service will evaluate how the testing goes before considering T3 use for other cities. But she said the Postal Service is a business, always looking for ways to save. For every penny that gas prices rise, it costs the Postal Service $8 million annually.

Linder also brought a T3 designed for police use to Key West. Police Chief Donnie Lee tried it out recently and was impressed, saying the vehicle would be ideal for events like Fantasy Fest. ''But we'd have to check to see if it is street legal,'' he said.

Key West passed an ordinance in 2003 that bans the use of the brand-name, two-wheeled Segway in its tourist district. The T3 technically does not apply because it has three wheels.

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