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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A judge has officially approved a settlement in a case brought by Tesla shareholders against board members who will now have to return stock, cash, and give up on stock options worth a total of nearly $1 billion.
Let me start this article with a quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk:
Tesla will never settle a case where we’re in the right, and never contest a case where we’re in the wrong.
Today, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick approved a settlement agreement between Tesla and all its board members from 2017 to 2020 and the Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit on behalf of Tesla shareholders over what the shareholders believed to be excessive compensation.
The agreement was first reported in July 2023, but it is only now being officially approved and we learn a few more details.
Shareholders believed that members of Tesla’s board were compensating themselves excessively with hundreds of millions of dollars between 2017 and 2020 when the average compensation of a board member of a S&P500 company is just north of $300,000.
Under the settlement, the board members agree to return to Tesla $277 million in cash, $459 million in stock options and to forgo $184 million worth of stock options awarded for 2021-2023.
That adds up to nearly $1 billion.
The board members include Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother, Brad Buss, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Stephen Jurvetson, all close friends of Elon Musk and people who have financial dealings with Musk outside of Tesla, Linda Johnson Rice, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, Hiromichi Mizuno and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp and also a close friend of Musk.
As part of the settlement, Tesla or the board does not admit to any wrongdoing.
Musk didn’t take compensation as part of the board, but he is embroiled in a similar case over his own $55 billion CEO compensation package, which was rescinded by the same judge after she found that it wasn’t negotiated or presented to shareholders in good faith.
The board members who received this “excessive compensation” also happened to be the one who “negotiated” Musk’s CEO compensation package.
The case is heading to the Delaware Supreme Court, as reported earlier today.
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Environment
Nissan’s Ariya electric SUV takes on the extreme weather in its new test chamber [Video]
![Nissan's Ariya electric SUV takes on the extreme weather in its new test chamber [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/Nissan-first-Tesla-NACS-Japan.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Despite how cold it may feel outside, Nissan’s electric SUV has likely been through colder. Nissan is proving its Ariya SUV can handle the extreme weather at its unique new test chamber at its tech center near Detroit. With temperatures ranging from -40 to 176 °F, the Ariya is being pushed to see what it’s made of.
Nissan launched the Ariya, its first electric SUV, in the US in late 2022. Over 13,400 Ariya models were sold in the US in its first sales year, with another nearly 20,000 handed over in 2024.
A few weeks ago, Nissan introduced the 2025 Ariya, starting at just $39,770. It has two battery options, 66 or 91 kWh, good for 216 and 289 miles range. That’s for the FWD models.
You can opt for Nissan’s e-4ORCE AWD dual-motor system for “thrilling acceleration” with up to 389 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. However, with the added power, you sacrifice some range. The AWD Ariya gets up to 272 miles range.
With many parts of the country seeing frigid temperatures, Nissan says its “Ariya is very well equipped” to combat freezing weather.
The electric SUV was already the first vehicle (EV or gas-powered) to drive from the North to the South Pole in 2023. Now, it’s being put through the paces at Nissan’s tech center outside of Detroit.
It’s currently around 23 °F in Detroit, with a low of 11 °F, but Nissan says it’s even colder in its unique new test chamber. The chamber is located at the Nissan Technical Center North America campus, just outside Detroit.
Nissan Ariya handles cold weather tests in new chamber
“Our chambers are capable of temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 176 degrees Fahrenheit,” Jeff Tessmer, senior manager of Zero Emission Vehicles at Nissan’s tech center, explained.
Nissan tests the Ariya in a test chamber with “far more extreme” temperatures than the typical driver will see. Tessmer said, “We want to test the worst-case scenario so that our customers will still get the same performance in a wide variety of weather conditions.”
One of the biggest goals is to prove the electric SUV’s battery can maintain charge levels even in extreme weather.
Nissan puts it through “cold soak” tests to ensure performance. During a 24-hour cold soak, the Ariya was parked in -4 °F weather with a 17% battery charge. It also wasn’t plugged in or using its battery heater. After the team returned the next day, the electric SUV still had a 17% charge and started up immediately.
The Ariya is equipped with a battery heater that drivers can turn on ahead of time to ensure optimal performance. On hot days, it includes a liquid-cooled system to regulate battery temperatures.
Drivers can also use the MYNISSAN app to pre-warm the cabin, check the interior temperature, and schedule charging times. Ansu Jammeh, an engineer on Nissan’s Zero Emissions Engineering team, said the best time to use the heating feature is “when the vehicle is plugged in so that it uses power from the grid instead of the vehicle.”
| 2025 Nissan Ariya trim | Battery (kWh) |
Starting Prices* (MSRP) | Range (miles) |
| Engage FWD | 66 | $39,770 | 216 |
| Engage e-4ORCE | 66 | $43,770 | 205 |
| Evolve + FWD | 91 | $44,370 | 289 |
| Engage + e-4ORCE | 91 | $45,370 | 272 |
| Evolve + e-4ORCE | 91 | $48,370 | 272 |
| Platinum + e-4ORCE | 91 | $54,370 | 267 |
Nissan added a new wireless charging pad across all 2025 Ariya models. The inside features Nissan’s Advanced Drive-Assist setup with dual 12.3″ infotainment and driver display screens formed in a “wave-like” shape.
Other standard features of the 2025 model include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a Head-up display, and a Virtual Personal Assistant. It also includes Nissan’s ProPilot Assist for assisted driving.
Are you ready to check out Nissan’s electric SUV for yourself? We can help you get started. You can use our link to find Nissan Ariya models at the best price in your area today.
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Florida’s Rice Creek Solar Energy Center is now online, delivering nearly 75 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity to 12 cities across the state. The solar farm is part of the Florida Municipal Solar Project, one of the largest municipal solar initiatives in the US.
Located in Putnam County, near Palatka, the Rice Creek site is covered with 213,000 solar panels that generate enough power for around 14,000 homes. This marks the third solar site in the Florida Municipal Solar Project, with more on the way.
Twelve utilities are tapping into the clean energy from Rice Creek, including Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach), Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Homestead, Keys Energy Services in Key West, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Beach, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach Utilities, Newberry, Ocala, Town of Havana, and Winter Park. This is the first solar power project for Havana, New Smyrna Beach, and Newberry.
Jacob Williams, the general manager of the Florida Municipal Power Agency, explained, “By working together, our members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that’s both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
The FMPA, based in Orlando, coordinates the project, while the 12 municipal utilities – who are also FMPA’s member-owners – purchase the power. Miami-based Origis Energy is the builder, owner, and operator of Rice Creek. According to Origis Energy’s Josh Teigiser, “We are honored to support this FMPA work. Long-term agreements for solar generation, including for Rice Creek Solar, provide a stable rate base contributing to lower and more predictable customers’ bills.”
Construction is already underway on a fourth Florida solar farm, Whistling Duck Solar, in Levy County. The Florida Municipal Solar Project is expected to grow to seven sites in the next few years and will generate a total of around 525 MW of clean energy.
Read more: Ohio’s largest solar farm just came online
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