The U.S. Postal Service is facing sharp criticism from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) regarding its push for an all-electric mail fleet, which has consumed over $3 billion in taxpayer funds despite limited progress and continued purchases of traditional fuel vehicles.
USPS confirms only 612 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) have been delivered nationwide as of November 10th. This production pace means just three to four NGDVs are completed each day, earning the program a harsh branding by Ernst as “a failure” and a potential “boondoggle.”
Ernst, who chairs the Senate’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus, wrote that spending $1.7 billion solely for 612 electric vehicles represents an enormous waste. She added there are also 6,727 unused electric vehicles currently purchased.
Meanwhile, Oshkosh Defense continues to experience production difficulties with major quality issues reported in recent months. The contractor’s delivery pace has been significantly slower than projections, starting at just one truck per day and failing leak tests that led one insider reportedly stating “We don’t know how to make a damn truck.”
Despite the limited rollout of NGDVs, USPS insists none of the $3 billion allocated under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is available for rescission. Yet the agency simultaneously announced plans to acquire 40,250 new gasoline-powered delivery vehicles.
USPS officials defend the program as part of a necessary transition toward modernization and environmental responsibility in their operations, while maintaining that delays are normal for establishing new manufacturing lines despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
