Biden's green fleet stalls: USPS electric mail truck initiative plagued by delays and cost overruns

By bellecarter // 2025-07-24

Copy

The Biden administration's plan to electrify the USPS fleet with 66,000 electric delivery trucks, funded by $3 billion from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, has faced significant setbacks, with only 250 vehicles produced by November 2024, far below the initial target of 3,000.
The project, championed by former White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, has been hindered by production delays and engineering issues, including airbag calibration and leak testing problems, leading to criticism and skepticism about the contractor's capabilities.
Oshkosh Corporation, the contractor responsible for producing the vehicles, has struggled with inefficiencies, producing only one mail truck per day instead of the expected 80. A senior executive reportedly attempted to alert USPS about these issues in 2022 but was blocked by superiors.
The delays have prompted congressional Republicans, led by Senator Joni Ernst, to push for the cancellation of the remaining $1.3 billion in funding. The USPS's financial struggles, including $9.5 billion in losses in fiscal year 2024, have also raised concerns about the agency's viability and potential mergers.
The USPS's difficulties with its EV program highlight the challenges of implementing large-scale government green initiatives and the potential for financial waste, casting a shadow over the Biden administration's broader climate and environmental policy goals.

Former President Joe Biden's administration's ambitious plan to electrify the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) fleet, a cornerstone of its climate agenda, has faltered, raising questions about the feasibility of large-scale government-led green initiatives. Biden's plan to modernize the USPS fleet with 66,000 electric delivery trucks, funded in part by $3 billion from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, has encountered significant setbacks. Despite the allocation of $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds, only 250 electric mail trucks have been produced as of November 2024, far short of the initial target of 3,000 by that date. The project, initially hailed by former White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi as "the Biden climate strategy on wheels," has been marred by production delays and engineering hurdles. Oshkosh Corporation, the Wisconsin-based defense contractor tasked with producing the vehicles, has struggled with issues ranging from airbag calibration to leak testing, with reports of water pouring out of vehicles "as if their oversize windows had been left open in a storm." A senior executive at Oshkosh attempted to alert USPS about these production problems in 2022, but was reportedly blocked by superiors. "We don't know how to make a damn truck," one person involved in the manufacturing process told the Washington Post. The delays have prompted congressional Republicans, led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), to push for the cancellation of the remaining $1.3 billion earmarked for the project. "Biden's multi-billion-dollar EV [electric vehicle] fleet for the USPS is lost in the mail, and more than $1 billion is postmarked to order more," Ernst stated. "I am working to cancel the order and return the money to the American people."

A history of mismanagement

The USPS's struggles with its EV program are not entirely surprising given the agency's recent history. Former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who stepped down earlier this year, faced criticism for his handling of the agency's operations, including the EV initiative. His successor, David Steiner, now faces the daunting task of steering the project back on course. During DeJoy's tenure, the USPS awarded Oshkosh a $2.6 billion contract to produce 35,000 electric vehicles. However, the company's production facility in Spartanburg has been plagued by inefficiencies, with records showing it was only producing one mail truck per day, far below the expected 80 vehicles daily. The USPS has also faced scrutiny from the Government Accountability Office, which identified the agency as having "high risk" financial viability due to its inability to fully fund its services and obligations. The agency's losses, which totaled $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024, have led to discussions about potential mergers, with President Donald Trump suggesting a merger with the Department of Commerce. The USPS's struggles with its EV program have broader implications for the Biden administration's climate agenda. The transition from gas to electric vehicles is a central pillar of the administration's environmental policy and the USPS fleet was seen as a key component of this transition. However, the delays and cost overruns raise concerns about the feasibility of such large-scale initiatives. The Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions for environmental initiatives, is projected to cost taxpayers upwards of $1 trillion over the next decade. The USPS's experience with its EV program underscores the challenges of implementing these provisions and the potential for significant financial waste. As the USPS approaches its 250th anniversary on July 26, the agency finds itself at a crossroads. Newly appointed Postmaster General David Steiner must navigate the complexities of modernizing the USPS while addressing the ongoing challenges of its EV program. With Republicans in Congress pushing for the cancellation of remaining funds and the Biden administration committed to the electrification of the USPS fleet, the next steps will be crucial in determining the future of the agency's environmental agenda. The USPS's experience serves as a cautionary tale for the challenges of transitioning to electric vehicles and the potential pitfalls of large-scale government projects. (Related: New complaint filed alleging that U.S. Postal Service (USPS) committed electoral fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election.) Watch the video below that talks about Biden's obsession with electric vehicles. This video is from the Right Edition channel on Brighteon.com.

NATURAL NEWS

A history of mismanagement

More related stories:

Sources include: