GOP omnibus bill would sell off USPS's EVs

Who Would Buy the USPS EVs?

• Many doubt there’s a realistic large-scale buyer: trucks are purpose-built for mail, right‑hand drive, and highly specialized.
• Speculated buyers: Amazon, FedEx, UPS, other postal services, last‑mile contractors, private enthusiasts, scrappers. Most replies argue big carriers already have their own EV programs or could buy directly from manufacturers.
• With only ~93 EVs delivered so far, several note “scale” isn’t actually an issue; they could be offloaded via surplus auctions one by one.

Motives Behind the Provision

• Widespread belief that the goal is political and donor‑driven: pro–oil, anti–climate policy, and hostile to government services.
• Strong claim that it’s part of a broader effort to deliberately cripple USPS efficiency and finances to justify privatization later.
• Some suspect potential “fire‑sale” beneficiaries, but others argue major carriers don’t need backroom deals for a handful of oddball trucks.

Economics, Procurement, and Oshkosh

• Critics of the sell‑off say most costs (design, tooling, infrastructure) are already sunk, so auctioning off nearly-new vehicles is pure waste and further weakens USPS.
• Others point to reported Oshkosh delays, engineering issues, price hikes, and low deliveries (~100 vs 3,000 expected) and argue canceling could be justified to stop further overruns.
• Discussion of whether USPS should instead use commercial off‑the‑shelf vans (e.g., Ford/Rivian–style platforms) versus bespoke designs tailored to postal work.

Operational Benefits and Worker Experience

• Commenters emphasize EV advantages for urban, stop‑and‑go routes: efficiency, lower operating cost, regenerative braking, and running A/C without idling.
• Anecdotes about current LLVs being dangerously hot “metal cans” reinforce that the new vehicles—ICE or EV—would greatly improve safety and ergonomics, and are reportedly popular with carriers.

Politics, Media, and Polarization

• Strong emotional reactions: anger, despair, and open hatred toward the administration and its supporters; others warn that hating “half the country” worsens polarization.
• Debate over whether there is any serious “steel‑man” Republican argument beyond “EVs bad, oil good” or generic anti‑spending rhetoric.
• Some frame this as another example of “spite and cruelty” governance; a minority urges considering that bespoke EVs might indeed be cost‑ineffective, but this remains contested.