Hawkeye Reporter

Craig Williams, Representative of Iowa House District 11, said in a public announcement with the Hawkeye Reporter that federal electric vehicle (EV) programs have consistently failed to deliver results. He emphasized that lawmakers need to cut losses and reassess further investments.

"The carriers who serve my rural home drive what appear to be personal vehicles," said Williams, Iowa State Representative. "Each of these EV programs have been nothing short of a colossal failure and waste of taxpayer dollars. It appears we would be well served to cut our losses on the USPS EV program."

The statement comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the federal government’s push for electrification of public transportation and mail delivery services, particularly in rural areas. Programs such as the United States Postal Service (USPS) EV rollout and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus initiative have received billions in funding under the Biden administration’s climate agenda. However, local officials and residents in rural states like Iowa have raised concerns about the practicality, cost, and reliability of EVs in areas with low charging infrastructure and challenging weather conditions, according to The New York Times.

The USPS electric vehicle initiative, backed by a $10 billion federal investment, has delivered only 250 vehicles to date. This has prompted bipartisan criticism over its sluggish rollout and escalating costs. According to American Greatness, lawmakers argue that the Biden-era USPS fleet contract has fallen well short of expectations. They cite persistent procurement delays, unfulfilled deployment goals nearly two years into the program, and ballooning expenses. Senator Joni Ernst and others have called for the contract to be terminated and for the remaining funds to be redirected to more effective transportation solutions.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, IKM-Manning, Coon Rapids-Bayard, and Audubon Community Schools in Iowa each received $395,000 in 2022 through the Clean School Bus Program to purchase electric buses. These awards were part of a targeted initiative to increase EV adoption in rural schools where buses face greater wear and tear due to longer distances and unpaved roads. Diesel school buses typically cost $170,000, making the EV units more than twice as expensive upfront without accounting for maintenance or infrastructure challenges.

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) permanently retired its seven electric buses in early 2024 despite having received $4.5 million in federal grants to acquire them. According to the Des Moines Register, the buses were operable only 60% of the time and suffered persistent breakdowns. The agency cited maintenance issues, limited range, and delays in parts as reasons for decommissioning the fleet after less than two years of service.

Williams has had a long career in agriculture, business operations, and conservative politics. After earning a degree in Operations Management and Information Systems from Bradley University, he worked for major agricultural seed companies before becoming a business strategy consultant with The Context Network.