Electric mail vans just make sense, and a heavily electrified USPS fleet could save taxpayers billions over the lifespan of the vehicles. However, they’re also controversial, and the current administration wants to get rid of them ASAP. Turns out, that’s not happening — at least, not through the avenues the administration expected to use — thanks to the senate parliamentarian.
Speaking of challenges facing EVs, it might soon be illegal to hardwire in your own Level 2 charging station, and homeowners might turn to a workaround with some added risk. On the plus side, it turns out that EV battery packs are degrading slower than ever, a tidbit of good news in all of this. Oh, and the UAW’s in hot water for something new.
This issue of The Morning Dump is a bit late, and that’s on me. However, I hope you’re still able to grab a cup of something caffeinated, possibly even some lunch this late in the day, and peruse some bite-sized tidbits of automotive news.
The Plan To Scrap Electric Mail Vans Is On Ice For Now
The USPS currently has around 7,200 electric vehicles, some of which are Ford e-Transit cargo vans that anyone can buy, and some of which are electric variants of Oshkosh’s purpose-built Next-Generation Delivery Vehicle. Delivery by electric vehicle is a great concept with low running costs, but it seems the current administration wants to force USPS to ditch its electric mail vans. Why get rid of them? Well, it’s a $3 billion program and it has has faced delays, though it’s possible part of the rationale is ideologically driven. Via Reuters:
Senate Republicans argued scrapping EVs would “focus USPS on delivering mail and not achieving the environmental aims pushed by the Biden administration.”
Those who are dealing with procurement and use of these electric delivery vehicles don’t seem particularly happy about this movement, partly because hundreds of millions of dollars have already been spent on plug-in vans, partly because removing them would leave USPS with a serious shortfall, and partly because the electric mail vans actually seem modern and seem to work, as Reuters reports:
USPS warned on June 13 that scrapping the electric vehicles would cost it $1.5 billion, including $1 billion to replace its current fleet of EVs and $500 million in EV infrastructure rendered useless and “seriously cripple our ability to replace an aging and obsolete delivery fleet.”
Efforts to scrap the postal service’s electric vehicle fleet have been at least stalled for now thanks to the Parliamentarian of the Senate, a position that’s only existed since 1935, and has only even been filled by six people. Among other interpretative duties, the Parliamentarian decides whether a budget clause objected to under the Byrd Rule will require a supermajority to pass, or whether it can be approved by a simple majority. From Reuters:
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, whose role is to ensure lawmakers follow proper legislative procedure, said a provision to force the sale could not be approved via a simple majority vote in the Republican-controlled chamber and will instead need a 60-vote supermajority, according to Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee.
Given the split of the Senate, it’s unlikely a 60-vote supermajority to make USPS scrap its EVs would be reached. However, it’s worth noting that the role of senate parliamentarian is largely an advisory one. The Vice President, being President of the Senate, can theoretically overrule the parliamentarian’s guidance, and the Senate majority leader can fire the parliamentarian. This certainly isn’t over, but this recent ruling seems to give electric vans the upper hand for now.
From a practical perspective, local mail delivery is just about the perfect application for an electric vehicle. We’re talking about a job with glacial average vehicle speeds, more stops than the door hardware section at Lowes, often relatively short routes, and a central depot to return to. It’s a good enough use case that private sector couriers like FedEx and UPS are giving electric mail vans a shot for city routes, so why not the United States Postal Service?
It May Soon Be Illegal To Install Your Own EV Charging Station
If you’re particularly handy around the house and want to install an EV charging station, you might want to do so soon. Motor Trend reports that under the recently approved 2026 edition of the National Electrical Code, new language means anyone wanting to have a hardwired charging station at home will soon have to pay a professional to install it, along with pulling permits and all that jazz. From Motor Trend:
The change stems from a new addition to the 2026 NEC that reads, “Permanently installed electric vehicle power transfer system equipment shall be installed by qualified persons.” As proposed and ratified, the 2026 NEC defines a qualified person in vague terms likely to be interpreted by states and code enforcement departments to mean a licensed electrician.
The problem with the proposed language is that making do-it-yourself installations illegal doesn’t necessarily stop homeowners from doing their own electrical work. It does guarantee, however, that any EV chargers put in by amateurs will be installed without the appropriate permit and the accompanying safety inspection.
Since the Motor Trend story went live, the National Fire Protection Association has ratified the clause, meaning that once the new code is adopted by individual states, residents of those states will need to hire a professional electrician to install a hardwired Level 2 charging setup at some.
However, there is likely a workaround here. Considering the wording pertains to “Permanently installed electric vehicle power transfer system equipment,” a homeowner installing a UL-listed, GCFI-equipped NEMA 14-50 socket, getting it checked over and okayed by an electrician, and then plugging a NEMA 14-50-compatible Level 2 charger into that socket should be legal, but that comes with extra risk.
In this Reddit thread discussing the issue, several users report issues with inexpensive 14-50 sockets, including one who wrote “I have first hand experience of melting a cheap 14-50 at least, so if this rule leads to more people doing that to avoid hardwiring it would reduce safety like the counter argument in the article states.”
Study Claims Most EV Battery Packs Should Outlast The Cars They’re In
One common concern the public has with EVs is how long the battery packs will actually last. By now, early modern EVs are more than a decade old, and for every Model S with crazy mileage on its original pack, there seems to be a story of a BMW i3 or Nissan Leaf with serious battery degradation. However, battery tech has done anything but stand still over the past ten years or so. Telematics firm Geotab recently released an updated edition of its EV battery health study involving data from 10,000 cars, and the report states that battery degradation has improved significantly.
When we analysed EV battery health in 2019, we found that EV batteries degraded, on average, at a rate of 2.3% per year. However, a new 2024 analysis reveals a significant improvement: EV batteries now degrade at an average of 1.8% per year. This improvement highlights ongoing advancements in battery technology and durability.
According to Geotab research, EV batteries could last 20 years or more if degradation continues at this improved rate. This is particularly encouraging for fleet operators under pressure to reduce CO2 emissions.
Sounds good, right? Well, mostly. There’s math to be done here, and the numbers tell a positive story with one caveat, so let’s start with the upside. The general threshold for degradation under most warranties is about 80 percent of a pack’s original capacity, and if newer packs lose an average of 1.8 percent of original usable capacity every year (it’s not linear, to be clear), that 80 percent capacity threshold won’t be hit until the average EV is 12 years old. That’s not bad considering the average light-duty vehicle on American roads is 12.6 years old according to S&P Global, and that’s average age, not median age. If I were to hazard a guess, the median age would likely trend lower because classics only make up a tiny portion of the fleet but can definitely skew averages.
However, there is a bit of a downside here, and that’s the potential for those in the hooptie end of the market to be somewhat left behind. See, extend the timeline out to 20 years, and the Geotab study suggests the average battery pack will have 64 percent of its original usable capacity by then. That would essentially result in a 36 percent haircut in range, something hybrid and purely combustion-powered cars don’t suffer from when they’re two decades old. Even among staff here, many of us daily drive cars that are around that age, so if that 1.8 percent-per-year loss of original capacity does prove to extrapolate out, hooptie EVs might have limited appeal compared to hooptie hybrids.
[Ed Note: I’m hopeful that this rate flattens out substantially over time, and that my 2021 BMW i3’s battery will last longer than 20 years. -DT].
Another UAW Scandal
Remember in 2023, when United Auto Workers went on strike for better deals that rolled back some of the cuts made during the Great Recession? Well, striking can be expensive, and the UAW pulled funds out of its investment portfolio to cover them. However, Reuters reports that the UAW didn’t re-invest according to policy following this re-allocation of funds for more than a year, and the union could’ve missed out on $80 million according to UAW board members because of this; from Reuters:
UAW investment policy calls for keeping about 30% of its money in stocks, 53% fixed income and 17% alternative investments, according to three union sources and the documents.
The board voted to liquidate about $340 million in stock investments in August 2023 to pay strike costs, according to a union document reviewed by Reuters. The wording of the vote stipulated that the money be reinvested according to union policy after the strike ended and the labor contracts were ratified, though it didn’t specify how quickly.
But almost none of its portfolio was invested in stocks during the year after the strike began in September 2023, according to the records reviewed by Reuters. The news agency was unable to establish why the stock investment wasn’t made.
In February 2025, union staff conducted an analysis that showed the union might have earned $80 million more if its portfolio had been invested according to union policy, according to a document viewed by Reuters.
This irregularity is now being investigated by the feds, and word of it comes at a trying time for the union. Not only has organization momentum weakened over the past year, including failing to organize Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Alabama, but there’s currently another scandal around a dispute between union president Shawn Fein and secretary-treasurer Margaret Mock. Organization often gets workers better pay and conditions, yet allegations like this don’t bolster confidence in the UAW because infighting affects both productivity and image.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
“Y Control” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is just a great song, isn’t it? Twinkling guitars, driving drums, and some seriously great lyricism all add up to a timeless track. I mean, just think about the line “I wish I could buy back the woman you stole” for a second.
The Big Question:
Have you seen any electric mail vans out and about? What do you think of them?
Top graphic credit: USPS
Is the video unwatchable to everyone else? For me, it only plays for about 5 seconds at a time, and then goes to 30 seconds of ads.
Having seen some of the hack work that residential electricians do, I’d much rather do the work myself. Needing to pay someone to come and give their “OK” on work that is done with better quality parts and wiring by my hands is preferred to whatever bumpkin is slinging HF wire nuts and the cheapest wire they can throw in their van.
Now I know there are good electricians out there, I’ve been looking and using local references because my panel needs to be replaced and the quotes and conversations have been pleasant, quick, and professional. I have also received a bunch of B.S. and run-around to make a used car salesman blush. Folks that are willing to do the procedure themselves shouldn’t be strong armed, next thing you know you’ll need an electrician to replace a breaker, an outlet, hell even a lighting fixture of fan if we let this stuff go on for so long.
Hopefully Rivian will get the NFPA to listen to reason. Though I’ve been told by multiple people that things have gone down hill there and payoffs are suspected. Like the pop-up counter outlets put into the code last year. Very suspicious. So many of electricians wire evse the same way as a ac compressor very wrong and pointless dangerous to a point.
Not cool!
I resent being required by law to pay someone a large sum for work I could do perfectly well myself if it is indeed something I can do myself.
What’s next, no more DIY oil changes because an amateur might not tighten the drain plug properly? No more DIY tire rotations because a wheel might fall off?
I’m glad there’s a requirement for level 2 charger installs. Anything that has the ability to burn down your house in short order and/or is a serious arc flash/blast hazard should be done by a qualified person.
I’m sure your home insurance company would be DELIGHTED to hear you installed your own unauthorized charger and burnt your house down. Saves them the cost of rebuilding your home.
If you do the job right, follow the code and procedure, why should I pay someone to come put eyes on it and sign off on it?
Furthermore, some places don’t require an electrical permit for a 240v plug. So if I do a possibly more dangerous 240V, 40 amp NEMA plug install (dangerous in the sense that I use the wrong plug not rated for an EV charger, which is hard to disseminate in a big box store) and burn my house down, that’s better than me doing a hardwire?
I have a sneaking suspicion a lot of folks will be claiming the chargers were installed before “x/x/2026” date if the code is implemented in it’s current language.
If you’re not qualified or deemed otherwise competent to do that work, who is to say that it’s done correctly? Try that defense in court after an accident and let me know how it works out for you.
This is why we have trade certifications. Documentation that says you know enough about this subject to deem it acceptable or not. Everything else is just an endless series of “what ifs”.
I didn’t pull permits to run the 100A service to my garage, but the install was done by a master commercial electrician.
the 30A run that we replaced? very much NOT done by a certified electrician and it’s a miracle the garage didn’t burn down.
So if I get an accident, let’s say due to a brake failure, and the failure is on the part and not my work, am I still liable? Because I don’t have any major ASE certifications, I’m screwed? If I had those certs, I’d still be responsible, right? Having a piece of paper just greases the palms of those who said you need that piece of paper.
I work with trades people daily and having a piece of paper that says “certified” is about as useful as a piece of toilet paper worth the words “Certified” printed on it. They’re both as useful for wiping my ass with all their worth.
I work with 240V and 480V systems daily, I’ve run cabling for AC and DC components, I could quite quickly harm myself and others daily and I have not thanks to proper training and understanding of what I’m doing. I don’t have a degree for this and I certainly don’t have a Journeyman card or anything else saying “Certified” for electrical. Yet I do the work competently, safely, and sometimes at a higher quality than the guys I’m surrounded by that have the documentation.
I ran a new 30a line to my garage last summer, buried it to proper depth and verified my conduit and wiring were still in good shape so I could run my EVSE charger. The best part? I’m rocking a main panel from the 60’s and I only upgraded the wire as the P.O. had used an improper gauge and split the 240 to run 2 separate 120v circuits at the entrance to the garage. I fixed that wasn’t caught by 2 separate inspectors and an electrician who was hired by the P.O. to replace several outlets in the garage per our buying contract. I made their work safer.
Is it good to hire a licensed and trained contractor? Absolutely. If you are capable of doing the job correctly and safely? You should be able to. Whether that’s on your car, plumbing, electrical, or anything else you’re willing to learn on. The lack of a proper piece of paper should not hold us back from our capabilities as citizens.
Your right to swing ends where someone else’s face begins. You’re playing with the system of a house that (I assume) others live in, that is connected to the grid, and expected to have Insurance repair/replace in the event of an accident. Additionally, if you live in a suburb, your house has the potential to involve the home around you.
You may very well install stuff well above any beyond code, that’s great. But at the end of the day, we need a functional system of checks and balances to keep people safe and keep accountability. For every one of you, there’s 10 fucknuckles doing janky shit, jeopardizing the safety of those around them.
Just look at what’s happening with the current US administration if you need an example of how failing to follow process and procedure makes a large mess, quickly.
Working with electricity and doing dangerous things is usually a problem that solves it’s self. Comparing someone doing a bad wiring job to the current administration is such a wild hyperbole that completely misses the point I’m making.
By saying an electrician is needed to install an EVSE opens up the door for those who write codes to create more restrictions on items that a homeowner should be allowed to do. It also incentives the installation of an outlet to circumvent these issues, making it a potentially more dangerous installation due to the fact that not all 240V outlets are made equally.
I’m all for checks and balances when it comes to the safety of others, I have first hand evidence that isn’t perfect either. My home and my repairs aren’t going to affect those around me. The only time that would be an issue would be if I were backfeeding electricity via a generator without a disconnect or bypassing my meter and overdrawing amperage.
A lot of folks are fearful of electricity, as they should, and learning how to work with it is intimidating. I’m not advocating that anyone can pick up their phone, watch a few videos and be able to install an EVSE. I just think that requiring a permit and paying someone to install the EVSE if you’re capable is a bit much. Hell, I’m betting you can probably run the wires from your breaker, to the EVSE, and you can just pay the electrician to hook up 4 wires. That would still chap my ass.
It’s not hyperbole. Whether you’re playing with pissed off pixies trapped in lightning hoses, slapping binders on a big rig, manning the Warranty Return counter at the local Hardware Hole, or running the Federal branch of government, processes and procedures are made to keep things working as intended.
You’re always going to have to deal with the imperfect human element. Making something idiot proof just encourages the Universe to spit out a better idiot.
But circumventing the regulations are are largely written in blood, is not the correct way forward.
That’s why my current job of trying to keep Truck & Coach technicians from BBQing themselves on EV Transit buses is so important. A standard doesn’t yet exist for qualifying techs to work with high voltage, so we’re assembling best practices from the OEMs/CSA/ESA/NFPA and whatever governing bodies I’m forgetting at the moment.
Cause I don’t want my workplace to be the ones that get a regulation made due to a workplace accident.
Yes, because me slamming in an extra 120v circuit into my J box is exactly the same as cutting healthcare, bombing Iran, and ruining international relations for decades to come. Truly an equal statement.
I’m not disagreeing that policy and procedure have a place, but home EVSE installations gone wrong hasn’t been at the forefront of most issues in terms of electrical code. In fact the installation of outlets believed to be correct for the EVSE has lead to way more fires and damage, according to a quick Google News search.
It is why the consensus amongst homejobbers and professionals is to do a direct wire install. By writing it into code, and therefore requiring a permit and approval by an electrician, you’re simply adding another road block to EV adoption. Now a new EV buyer has to budget $2-3000+ for the charger to be installed along with the purchase price of a vehicle.
Where as now, if one is smart and considerate enough to follow policy and procedure, they can install an EVSE on their own wall with a safer direct wire solution. This can be done with as little as $150 in materials plus the charger. That’s a massive savings for something that I believe anyone willing to follow code can do in a weekend.
If I (or anyone else) following policy and procedure, why do I need to pay someone to believe me? I have no problem with the ideas of regulations and safety, I’ve been very clear that safety is a main point. If the EVSE installation becomes something that I need a permit for, why not allow me to simply sign off that I did it right? And if I didn’t and burn down my house, that’s on me. If anything, signing off on my work will either make me double check code or higher a professional for peace of mind.
Of course, as I stated, not even professional can catch everything and it could become the next persons problem. But, if there is a piece of paper saying I did it right and it wasn’t done right, they should be able to come after me for it just like a professional would.
You’re doing the right thing by creating the regulation before it is written. I’m advocating that the regulation shouldn’t be one that is needing an electrician to sign off on. I used the NEC section 625 when installing my EVSE, the section was extremely useful for placement and wire sizing. Needing a sign off on it though would have drove me to just keeping my 120V EVSE and I would have been keeping dangerous wiring into my garage.
“partly because removing them would leave USPS with a serious shortfall..” And there you have it. The R’s have had a hardon for privatizing the USPS for ages and this would be just another nail in the coffin.
Ev’s aren’t the problem here, it’s just the typical cluster when a government agency does anything.
That being said, I’ll bet you can buy several Metris vans for the price of one ugly EV and no charging infrastructure is required.
Correct, because the fueling infrastructure is already there. Setup costs suck. But you only have to bite that pillow once.
The fuel savings alone, if done correctly, offsets a ton of running costs. Especially in the advent of longer pack life.
Our four initial EV transit buses all now have between 200-300k kilometers on them and are showing basically no pack degradation. These buses are now two batt architectures old, so the new ones are even better.
Considering with modern emissions we’re only seeing 400-500k out of a Cummins ISL9 and it’s attached Allison trans, the cost parity is actually pretty good, cause that’s a $100k re-power for the diesel bus, and you’re STILL paying the fuel cost for a vehicle that travels 1km per liter on average (2-3mpg).
The buses are doing well. Our biggest problem is infrastructure and safety. But they’ll get sorted, just like we did with fuel handling decades ago.
Which make/model EV transit buses do you have?
New Flyer Excelsior and Novabus LFSe+
It is my opinion that the Novabus is FAR superior in nearly every metric. Especially from a maintenance/diagnostic perspective.
I spent 45 years with MCI, which also means New Flyer after the merger. I’m sure the New Flyer support team would benefit from your perspective.
I can’t help them make a better chassis, that’s been a problem through every model. But on the EV side, NF cobbled a bunch of different OEMs together to make a functional bus. Nova went to BAE, who gave them one integrated solution, that actually has diagnostic software.
As someone who drives an LLV daily, I’d say, regardless of the propulsion, that new vehicle is just way too tall. A great number of mounted boxes (out the window delivery) will become jump stops (park, get out and deliver). What committee came up with this humungous design? That thing is massive.
In reading the RFP for the next-gen mail van, the win was asking for the input of anyone at USPS who had anything to do with the van: the letter carriers, the fleet/office manager, the mechanic, accounting, etc. This resulted in a huge list of requirements.
The problem was is that they did not cull the list.
They also spec’ed the next-gen van when USPS contracted with Amazon to deliver packages on Sundays, requiring more volume in the mail vans. That is no longer the case.
The seating position is still very low so I’m not sure how it would cause out the window delivery to change. The roof is much higher to allow the driver to stand and enter the back without hitting their head.
How does the roof height impact delivery? Curious on your perspective.
Many boxes are underneath trees with large branches, basketball hoops, low wood/metal structures that protrude into road, or the entire bank of mailboxes has a roof which is now potentially too low.
Most mounted boxes will still be fine, but this will be more difficult to use, a bit like delivering from a UPS truck.
I was working in my yard when I heard the sound of an engine clearly on its last legs die. Then attempt to start twice, die. And then manage to roughly idle for about 30 seconds before dying again. Mail’s here! Our town is at the point where the post office maintenence men are delivering packages in USPS mobile repair trucks.
The postman told me that an efficiency study found our town currently has only half the number of vans (almost all are LLVs) to properly deliver the mail. We NEED these new vans!
The LLV that day died one street over and my only regret is not poking around inside of it and taking pictures.
sadly the USPS gave a list of requirements hundreds of pages long that were non negotiable so all of the major automakers walked away from the table for the contract. Things like height of the bottom of the seat to the floor of the vehicle. height of the drivers head to the ground. distance of the driver to the windshield all these tedious little requirements that would force this to be a one-off build. Oshkosh was the only bidder left. They now have the golden goose with this contract. they will deploy these new trucks so slowly that by the time the last one of the original contract is delivered it will be time for USPS to order new trucks. No matter what they are getting paid.
I can’t believe they resurrected Richard Scarry to design these. I heard they are based off a boot where a woman lived and Lowly Worm was the test driver.
That’s not completely true, there were 3 bidders that made it to the final round, USPS picked Oshkosh/Ford out of all of them
It virtually killed AM General as a viable business, after losing the HMMWV replacement contract, losing the R-Class production contract for Mercedes, losing EV conversion contracts for Ford, and crashing and burning with the MV-1, they were really putting all their eggs in the NGDV basket, but they were out in the second to the last round when Geely, whi was supposed to supply power trains, decided to back out and they had to go scrambling unsuccessfully for a replacement
The part about a long lists of requirements is spot-on. Great input that lacked prioritization and culling the list.
every board meeting probably went like “oh you got an idea too? well lets add that to the list!”
My city has its own USPS tow truck to go and rescue the LLVs. That’s how reliable they are.