Biden push for $10B electric mail delivery fleet flops with just 250 trucks built in two years
The nearly $10 billion project — which called for more than 35,000 battery-powered US Postal Service (USPS) vehicles to be completed by September 2028 — was funded in part by $3 billion in funding from former President Joe Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
As of this month, the project is well behind schedule despite taxpayers forking over $1.7 billion — prompting Capitol Hill Republicans to try to rescind the remaining nearly $1.3 billion earmarked from the IRA.
'Biden's multi-billion-dollar EV fleet for the USPS is lost in the mail and more than $1 billion is postmarked to order more,' Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told The Post.
'I am working to cancel the order and return the money to the sender, the American people. The rescissions package is a great start, but Congress must keep its foot on the pedal and make DOGE a lifestyle by stamping out waste like this on a regular basis.'
6 A Biden administration plan to create a green fleet of postal vehicles has built only 250 electric mail trucks in more than two years, amounting to a multibillion-dollar 'boondoggle,' Republicans said.
Business Wire
The move comes after former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stepped down earlier this year, passing off the agency's EV embarrassment to his successor, David Steiner, whose new job became official Monday.
Wisconsin-based Oshkosh, a defense contractor, agreed to be paid $2.6 billion by the USPS to provide the 35,000 vehicles — but the Washington Post reported late last year that just 93 battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) were ready by November 2024, even though 3,000 were expected by that date.
Oshkosh's mail truck production has struggled to clear a number of engineering hurdles, including issues with airbag calibration and during leak testing, which resulted in 'water [pouring] out as if [the vehicles'] oversize windows had been left open in a storm.'
A senior executive at Oshkosh attempted to alert USPS about the production problems in 2022, but was blocked by their superiors.
'This is the bottom line: We don't know how to make a damn truck,' one person involved with the manufacturing process told the Washington Post.
Michigan-based Morgan Olson, a previous contractual partner of USPS, had tried and failed to win the bid to produce the BEVs in February 2024.
During a meeting between DeJoy, postal officials and Morgan Olson executives, the postmaster general lamented the status of 'a production plant in South Carolina,' apparently referring to the Oshkosh truck manufacturing facility, a source who attended the meeting revealed to The Post.
6 The nearly $10 billion project included $3 billion in funding from former President Joe Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to electrify the agency's fleet.
Getty Images
But DeJoy later added that he was 'in the parcel delivery business, not the vehicle manufacturing business,' the source continued.
At the time, Oshkosh's Spartanburg factory could produce just one mail truck per day, with company records showing that they had expected to be producing upwards of 80 vehicles on a daily basis.
The cost per truck to the defense contractor was pegged at $77.692 for 28,195 electric vehicles, according to The Washington Post.
In December 2023, USPS put out a call for vehicle suppliers that could provide 'at least 12,000 battery-electric' mail trucks by October 2025, along with 'at least 1,500 internal combustion engine' trucks starting in October 2024.
6 A rep for Oshkosh referred comments to USPS but confirmed the manufacturer still has an active contract with the agency for electric vehicles.
USPS OIG
A rep for Oshkosh referred questions to USPS but confirmed the manufacturer still has an active contract with the agency for electric vehicles.
'Modernization of the Postal Service's delivery fleet is part of the organization's $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve the USPS processing, transportation, and delivery networks,' a USPS spokesperson said.
'The Postal Service has placed orders for 51,500 next generation delivery vehicles (NGDVs), of which 35,000 are Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV). More than 1,000 NGDVs have been received to date, of which more than 250 are BEV,' the rep added.
'Additionally, the Postal Service has ordered 9,250 Ford E-Transit electric vehicles, of which nearly 8,000 have been received. Deployment continues to expand to sites across the country in accordance with the rollout of our new delivery network.'
6 Ex-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy admitted he was 'in the parcel delivery business, not the vehicle manufacturing business,' according to a source.
AP
6 USPS's Grumman Long Life Vehicles are expensive to maintain, loud, fuel-inefficient, and have been known at times to burst into flame.
CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Biden administration had been committed USPS to acquiring '100% electric' postal vehicles starting in 2026, but it remains to be seen whether Republicans will withdraw the funding for the green fleet project.
The transition of USPS vehicles to electric power from gas vehicles — a central pillar of Biden's environmental agenda — has been stalled almost from the outset.
Expert estimates project that the broader set of environmental provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act could cost taxpayers upwards of $1 trillion during the decade following the bill's passage.
The new, predominantly electric vehicles are meant to replace the antiquated fleet of Grumman Long Life Vehicles, which date to 1987 and are expensive to maintain, loud, fuel-inefficient, and have been known at times to burst into flame.
6 The transition of USPS vehicles over to electric power from gas-powered vehicles — a central pillar of Biden's environmental agenda — has been at a near standstill from the outset.
AP
The miniscule number of vehicles that have been produced by Oshkosh are also a small fraction of the 60,000 total 'Next Generation Delivery Vehicles,' powered by a mix of battery-electric and other energy sources, that USPS is set to purchase from the firm.
The Government Accountability Office, a non-partisan taxpayer accountability agency, identified USPS in a February 2025 report as having 'high risk' financial viability because the agency 'still cannot fully fund its current level of services and financial obligations.'
In recent months, Trump has floated the possibility of merging USPS with the Department of Commerce, citing USPS losses of an astonishing $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024.
'[USPS has] been just a tremendous loser for this country, tremendous amounts of money they've lost,' the president told reporters in February.
'We want to have a post office that works well and doesn't lose massive amounts of money, and we're thinking about doing that, and will be a form of a merger, but it'll remain the Postal Service, and I think it'll operate a lot better than it has been over the years.'
With the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Post Office by the Second Continental Congress approaching on July 26, the newly-appointed Steiner will inherit the tall task of modernizing USPS while its EV program continues to tread water.
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Race to replace Mitch McConnell heats up on stage: 3 takeaways from Fancy Farm 2025
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More: Former GOP Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown running for Senate in New Hampshire Republican Scott Brown, a former Massachusetts senator and ex-ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa under Trump's first term, is among a handful of candidates competing on the GOP side. Like Minnesota, Cook Political Report has rated New Hampshire's race leaning Democrat. 10. Iowa In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, has the advantage, with Cook Political Report rating her race likely Republican. Three Democrats so far have launched bids in hopes of beating those odds: Nathan Sage, the former chamber of commerce director from Knoxville; state Rep. J.D. Scholten; and state Sen. Zach Wahls. More: Iowa Democratic Rep. and minor league pitcher J.D. Scholten to run against Sen. Joni Ernst Trump's sweeping tax, spending and policy bill, passed into law earlier this summer, is expected to be a defining issue in Iowa's race. Ernst was one of 50 Senate Republicans who voted in favor of the legislation, which her Democratic opponents decried as a move "to gut Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of Iowa children and families." The primary in Iowa is scheduled for June 2. 11. Nebraska Nebraska is widely seen as a Republican stronghold with incumbent GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts, though there could be a surprisingly competitive race in 2026 with Independent candidate Dan Osborn jumping back into a statewide election. More: Nebraska independent Dan Osborn could be poised to shake up U.S. Senate Osborn came within seven percentage points of beating Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024, a closer-than-expected margin in the GOP-dominated state. Osborn, a former labor leader, is a registered Independent but received campaign contributions from Democrats in his last campaign (money he told NBC he did not ask for). Ricketts, a former Nebraska governor and part owner with his family of the Chicago Cubs, is running for a full term after being appointed to the job in January of 2023 upon the resignation of Republican Sen. Ben Sasse. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will win Senate majority in 2026? These are 11 key races to watch.
USA Today
25 minutes ago
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Which way will Senate swing in 2026? Here are 11 pivotal races that will decide.
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Georgia Georgia's Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff must fend off a pack of conservative lawmakers in order to hang onto his seat in 2026. Alongside fellow Georgia Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock, Ossoff's win in a Jan. 2021 runoff election secured him a first term in Congress and his party a chamber majority. Once again, his race will be key in determining whether Democrats win control of the Senate. Republicans looking to unseat him include Rep. Buddy Carter, a former pharmacist who represents the Savannah area. Carter was first to throw his red hat in the ring. But others, including Rep. Mike Collins, have since joined the contest. Both Carter and Collins are coveting Trump's support, an endorsement that could carry weight with Georgia's deep red electorate pockets. Georgia's primary elections are set for May 19. 4. Texas Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn stands a good chance of winning a fifth term against a Democratic challenger next November, in the red-leaning Lone Star State. But first, he must make it through what is promising to be a tough primary against the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton. Cornyn has served in the Senate since 2002, but early polls showed him down double digits to Paxton. More: Texas AG Ken Paxton's wife files for divorce 'on biblical grounds' National Republicans have expressed concern that Paxton, who has faced indictments, impeachment and, more recently, a very public divorce, could cost the GOP their safely held Texas seat in a general election. Democrat and former Rep. Colin Allred, who ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, has announced his campaign for 2026. Texas state Rep. James Talarico has said he is 'seriously considering' a run as well. More: Former congressman Colin Allred launches 2026 campaign for US Senate Primary elections in the Lone Star State are scheduled for March 3. 5. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, has also drawn a GOP challenger in his 2026 bid for reelection. Paul Dans, the original author of Project 2025, a sweeping conservative agenda to overhaul the federal government, announced his entrance into the race at an event in Charleston July 30. More: Lindsey Graham gets Republican challenger: Project 2025 author to announce Senate bid The primary contest will likely pit MAGA voters in the Palmetto State against one another. Though Graham has previously been a regular target of criticism from Trump − displeased by the lawmaker at times breaking from the GOP leader − he is currently an ally to the president and has already received Trump's 'complete and total endorsement.' Dans' primary challenge will be an uphill battle. Should Graham come out on top, he is heavily favored to win a fifth term representing the Palmetto State. A pack of Democrats are vying to face Graham or Dans in the general, though South Carolina is generally considered a safely red seat. Both party primaries will be held June 9. 6. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is about to wrap her fifth term in the Senate, and while she has yet to formally announce her bid for reelection, many colleagues expect her to run again. Her position as one of the upper chamber's most independent voices has kept her in favor, and in office, with her left-leaning state, though Democrats still see this upcoming race as one of their top pick-up opportunities if two-term Gov. Janet Mills decides to run. Collins has garnered a reputation for being one of the few congressional Republicans willing to tell Trump no. She voted against two of his major legislative priorities this summer – a sweeping tax and spending bill, as well as a $9 billion cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid funding – and has openly criticized some of the president's nominees. More: 'See you in court.' Trump, Maine governor clash in tense exchange at White House Willingness to oppose Trump typically comes with the president's full public ire – and often a MAGA-aligned primary opponent. However, Collins is the only Republican senator to have won a state in which Democrats won the popular vote in 2024. Her unique position seems to, at least for now, have kept Trump from speaking out against who many view as the GOP's best chance to keep their seat in Maine. Several Democratic candidates have announced campaigns against Collins, including David Costello, who ran unsuccessfully against Maine's Independent Sen. Angus King in 2024. All eyes are most focused on Mills, the state governor who has also tussled with Trump but hasn't yet said if she will run. Maine will have its primaries on June 9. 7. Minnesota Minnesota's Democratic Sen. Tina Smith announced earlier this year her plan to retire at the end of her current term, calling the decision "entirely personal." With the state's blue tilt, Smith's seat has a good chance of staying in Democrats' hands. More: 'Entirely personal': Democrat Tina Smith to not seek reelection in 2026 Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Annie Craig are among the frontrunners for their party's nomination. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris' running mate, opted back in February not to run for Senate. On the Republican side, former NBA player Royce White is running again, after losing his bid against Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2024. Former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze has also announced his campaign for the GOP nomination. The Minnesota primaries will be held Aug. 11. 8. Ohio The Buckeye State represents one of Democrats' few pick up opportunities, and even then it will not be an easy flip. Republican Sen. Jon Husted was picked by Ohio's governor to fill the seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance at the start of the year, and Husted will be on the ballot next November to keep his spot. Ohio has become reliably red in recent years, making the fight to flip it tough for Democrats. Their best shot likely is former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his bid for reelection last year to Sen. Bernie Moreno. Axios reported that Brown met with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in late July, as part of the top Senate Democrat's efforts to lobby Brown to run again. 9. New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire announced she would not be seeking another term in 2026 either. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who launched his campaign in April, is widely seen as a strong contender to succeed Shaheen. More: Former GOP Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown running for Senate in New Hampshire Republican Scott Brown, a former Massachusetts senator and ex-ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa under Trump's first term, is among a handful of candidates competing on the GOP side. Like Minnesota, Cook Political Report has rated New Hampshire's race leaning Democrat. 10. Iowa In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, has the advantage, with Cook Political Report rating her race likely Republican. Three Democrats so far have launched bids in hopes of beating those odds: Nathan Sage, the former chamber of commerce director from Knoxville; state Rep. J.D. Scholten; and state Sen. Zach Wahls. More: Iowa Democratic Rep. and minor league pitcher J.D. Scholten to run against Sen. Joni Ernst Trump's sweeping tax, spending and policy bill, passed into law earlier this summer, is expected to be a defining issue in Iowa's race. Ernst was one of 50 Senate Republicans who voted in favor of the legislation, which her Democratic opponents decried as a move "to gut Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of Iowa children and families." The primary in Iowa is scheduled for June 2. 11. Nebraska Nebraska is widely seen as a Republican stronghold with incumbent GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts, though there could be a surprisingly competitive race in 2026 with Independent candidate Dan Osborn jumping back into a statewide election. More: Nebraska independent Dan Osborn could be poised to shake up U.S. Senate Osborn came within seven percentage points of beating Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024, a closer-than-expected margin in the GOP-dominated state. Osborn, a former labor leader, is a registered Independent but received campaign contributions from Democrats in his last campaign (money he told NBC he did not ask for). Ricketts, a former Nebraska governor and part owner with his family of the Chicago Cubs, is running for a full term after being appointed to the job in January of 2023 upon the resignation of Republican Sen. Ben Sasse.
