Those awesome USPS EVs might be jeopardized by Donald Trump’s stupidity
The USPS’ upcoming electric vehicles, which promise more reliability and comfort for drivers, cost savings for the agency, and cleaner air for communities nationwide, might be in jeopardy, according to a report from Reuters.
The US Post Office has been running the same vehicles, Grumman LLVs, since the late 80s. Every mail truck on the road today is at least 30 years old – and if you live in the US, you can tell.
While they’ve served their purpose well for a long time, the trucks are smelly, noisy, and at this point feel like they’re on their last legs.
For the last decade, there has been a process in place to replace these vehicles. The USPS has been taking bids for contracts for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs), with several different powertrains represented in the bidding.
But electrification is a perfect choice for delivery vehicles. These vehicles do set daily routes with lots of starting and stopping, in neighborhoods where people live and breathe, and return back to the same place every night. It’s an ideal application for EVs.
So, the USPS settled on a contract with Oshkosh in 2021 to build NGDVs, right here in America, after a lot of back and forth.
But the original plan only included some 10% electric trucks. The vast majority of the purchase would still consist of 8.6mpg gas guzzlers.
So the back-and-forth continued, with Congressional committee hearings, lawsuits, and the Senate (and, of course, we here at Electrek) all pushing corrupt Postmaster DeJoy – who was appointed by Mr. Trump – into making a real commitment to electrify the fleet, as was one of President Biden’s first commitments in office.
All this pressure resulted in the USPS doubling and then doubling again its purchase intent, and finally committing to 100% BEV purchases after 2026, with only a small number of fossil-powered vehicles to come from Oshkosh before then. USPS will also buy some number of off-the-shelf EVs, with a big contract already handed out to Ford for 9,250 E-Transits.
Of course, as we’ve become familiar with in this whole process, the rollout of NGDVs was also delayed. But in September, NGDVs finally started rolling out, and it turns out they’re better than expected.
Drivers, so far, absolutely love them – they offer more features, like air conditioning which the LLVs didn’t have, and are more comfortable to use leading to less chance of repetitive stress injuries. And of course they’re beneficial for neighborhoods (who don’t have to rush to close their window whenever they hear one coming… like I do).
USPS’ awesome new EVs jeopardized as Mr. Trump favors more pollution, higher costs
But, last month, on his third attempt (and after committing treason in 2021, for which there is a clear legal remedy), Mr. Trump finally managed to get more votes than his opponent for the first time. So now, America is dealing with the fallout of just less than 50% of its voters choosing to vote for an astoundingly ignorant individual, who has openly promised to make Americans’ lives worse in all sorts of ways.
It’s no secret that Mr. Trump and the republican party are anti-EV, and favor more costly vehicles, dirtier air, and harming US manufacturing by letting China get the lead on EVs. The campaign has promised repeatedly to end the boom in domestic jobs and investment brought by President Biden’s EVs policies, and send US manufacturing back to the stone age.
Reuters is reporting that Mr. Trump, whose corrupt postmaster tried to pump the brakes on the EV transition in the first place, now wants to cancel the contract that would bring this peace and quiet to your neighborhood via US-built electric mail vehicles. Oshkosh is hiring 1,000 additional employees for a new facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina to build the trucks.
It would also inevitably raise the cost of sending mail, since it jeopardizes the cost savings that the new EVs represent – estimated at $4.3 billion total saved.
However, the legal pathway to go about doing this is unclear. The USPS is an independent agency, not directly under the control of the US executive. Its Board of Governors is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, but whoever is sitting in the White House doesn’t actually get direct control over the Post Office.
Further, the money to purchase NGDVs was already allocated by Congress, and the contract has already started being fulfilled, both by Oshkosh and by Ford. And that money isn’t under the control of the executive, either.
So, like much of what Mr. Trump says, this plan likely breaks the law (whatever the law means anymore). Not that further lawbreaking would be a surprise from a convicted felon, nor that ignorance of how the law works would be surprising from a former reality TV host who doesn’t know much of anything.
It’s also unclear what would replace these vehicles. The last bidding process took nearly a decade, and USPS LLVs are on their last legs. As summers get hotter and hotter (happening due to the climate change that Mr. Trump is determined to make worse), drivers need relief in the form of vehicles with air conditioning. Another ten-year bidding cycle means more pain for those drivers.
Delays would mean lost cost savings. The USPS Office of the Inspector General recently put out an update on the process to modernize fleet vehicles, stating that delays in acquiring BEVs will cost the Post Office $77 million in lost expected savings just this year and next. Those lost expected savings would be compounded by further delays.
A transition team spokesperson didn’t comment on this specific plan, but told Reuters that Mr. Trump aims to “protect the freedom of Americans to drive whichever vehicle they choose” – which doesn’t make any sense because these are postal trucks, not personal vehicles, and more-polluting vehicles certainly jeopardize the freedom of people to breathe non-poisoned air – and that he will “save the US auto industry for generations to come,” which waffling on US-built EVs and canceling laws that have led to a boom in US manufacturing will not do.
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Chrysler parent company Stellantis is sinking billions on electric Jeeps and Chargers that no one wants, but the they’ve developed market-leading EVs in Europe, and this latest, £36,995 DS Automobiles No4 is exactly the sort of electric crossover that could rejuvenate the brand’s American prospects. The only question now is: why won’t they bring it here?
Both the Dodge and Jeep-branded Stellantis EVs are being offered with huge discounts in a bid to generate some kind of market interest, but the company’s American product and marketing teams seem to be deeply confused about what the market actually wants. Over in Europe, though, Stellantis’ EVs are hot sellers – and this latest five-passenger crossover from the company is expected to steal even more sales from the Model Y.
The new all-electric No4 E-Tense model from Stellantis’ French brand DS Automobiles will be offered at three trim levels starting with the Pallas at £36,995 (approx. $48K US), rising to £39,160 for the Pallas+ and topping out at £41,860 (approx. $56K US, before incentives get applied) for the range-topping Etoile.
All three trims use a front-mounted electric motor rated at 213 hp, drawing from a 58.3‑kWh battery pack. That setup delivers up to 280 miles on the WLTP cycle (about 240 miles by EPA estimates). That feels like a lot of miles from a relatively small battery, aided no doubt by the DS No4’s aerodynamic. Inside the No4’s sculpted flanks is enough room for five adults and a bunch of their stuff, as well as an incredibly sexy dash and infotainment layout that (in the official press photos, at least) seems positively slathered in Alcantara (think “vegan suede”).
With 120 kW fast charging capabilities, the No4’s battery pack can replenish from 20 to 80 percent in under 30 minutes. Thanks to built‑in V2L/V2X tech, the No4 can also supply power back to external devices.
Electrek’s Take
I think it would be a hit. As for why the marketing gurus at whatever’s left of the old Chrysler corporation seem to think an electric muscle car that no one asked for or a Dodge-branded Alfa Romeo that no one will ever ask for is a better use of their marketing dollars – that’s simply beyond me.
Maybe you guys know? Check out these photos of the new DS No4, then scroll on down to the comments and let us know what you think of Stellantis’ US product plans, and whether or not they messed up canceling the Airflow after all.
SOURCE | IMAGES: DS Automobiles.
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The clock is running out on some of the best EV lease deals of the year. With the 25% tariff on imported EVs already hitting and the federal tax credit set to vanish after September 30, automakers are dangling some serious end-of-the-month offers. If you’ve been waiting to go electric, now’s the time. CarsDirect spotted three August EV price drops worth a look, but you’ll need to move fast, because these deals won’t last past the holiday weekend.
2025 Mercedes EQE SUV: $62 per month price drop
Mercedes is sweetening the pot on its EQE SUV as it works to move inventory. The 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ SUV can now be leased for $629 a month for 36 months with $7,923 due at signing. That works out to an effective $849 a month – a $62 drop from previous deals. For a nearly $80,000 luxury EV, that’s not a bad offer.
But timing is key. The federal EV tax credit disappears next month, and Mercedes is set to pause US EV orders on September 1, which could make finding the right model tougher. Current incentives run through September 2, so if you’ve been eyeing an EQE, lock one in now before the market shifts.
Click here for a local dealer with the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ SUV in stock.–trusted affiliate link
Click here to find a local dealer with the Mercedes EQE SUV in stock.–trusted affiliate link
2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: $90 per month price drop
As of August 22, the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz picked up a hidden $3,000 Dealer Lease Bonus – that is, dealer cash that only shows up if you lease.
That incentive knocks the Pro S trim down to $589 a month for 36 months with $5,999 due at signing. Do the math, and that’s $756 a month effective cost – a $90 drop from the earlier $846 offer. With $10,500 in total savings, this is the best deal yet on the ID. Buzz and one of the standout Labor Day EV lease offers.
Click here for a local dealer with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz in stock.–trusted affiliate link
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N: $150 per month price drop
Hyundai just slashed the price on its most powerful EV yet. The 2025 IONIQ 5 N can now be leased for $549 a month for 36 months with $3,999 due at signing (10,000 miles a year). That works out to an effective $660 a month – a huge $150 drop from July.
For a track-ready performance car, that’s a steal. And unlike most performance machines, the IONIQ 5 N doesn’t guzzle gas – you can just plug it in overnight at home. Current offers run through September 2.
Click here for a local dealer with the IONIQ 5 N in stock.–trusted affiliate link
Read more: From $129 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in August
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UK delivery firm DPD is putting one of Terberg’s heavy-duty electric yard tractors to the test at its giant, Oldbury, UK logistics hub – and its findings will help DPD shape a cleaner, more sustainable fleet strategy for the future.
DPD operates a fleet of over 50 yard hostlers (or “tugs” in the UK) to perform all trailer movements across its five sorting hubs in Oldbury, Smethwick, and Hinckley. Currently, those yards are serviced by a fleet of diesel tractors – but the company is interested in decarbonizing and “keen” to understand how EVs could be deployed across the fleet in the longer term.
“Tugs are the lifeblood of our hub operation, performing all trailer movements efficiently and safely across the five sites,” says Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Sustainability at DPD UK.
To that end, the company has deployed a Royal Terberg YT203-EV fitted with a pair of 78 kWh batteries, but it can be spec’ed up to 236 kWh and an almost unbelievable 105 tonne GCVWR. Even with “just” 156 kWh, the Terberg is able to work nearly a full 24 hours between charging – capability that is on par with diesel. At least.
“Terberg DTS are proud to be able to assist DPD on the way to Net Zero (emissions) and it was great to be able to work with DPD’s drivers and demonstrate what the YT203-EV can do in their own yard,” explains Peter Giles, Head of UK Logistics Sales at Terberg DTS. “Their aim is to be one of the leaders in the march to a more sustainable fleet future and they have already amassed a lot of knowledge and experience working with EVs. We know just how versatile and effective the vehicle is, but every operation is slightly different and working on-site with their own drivers means DPD can get really meaningful feedback from those who know the job better than anyone.”
Several operators will be trying out the YT203-EV across different shifts and operations to get feedback. So far, however, they seem hyped. “The electric tug (performs) incredibly well,” adds Jones. “Our drivers were really impressed, especially with the ease of use and driver comfort.”
Electrek’s Take
Whether it’s Terberg, Tico, or Orange EV, terminal tractors are an ideal application for electrification, and companies like DHL have spent more than a decade proving that out. And now that DPD is giving these HDEVs a chance, expect to see a whole lot more of them getting deployed soon.
SOURCE | IMAGES: DPD UK.
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