East Central Iowa News

Craig Williams, Representative for Iowa House District 11, has expressed skepticism regarding the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) electric delivery vehicle initiative. He pointed to the failure of federally funded electric bus programs in Iowa, including Iowa City's $6 million fleet, as evidence casting doubt on the viability of such initiatives. Williams shared his statement with East Central Iowa News.

"Iowa City's entire $6 million EV bus fleet is out of commission and indefinitely parked lacking necessary parts from a bankrupt manufacturer," said Williams, Iowa State Representative. "DART in Des Moines scrapped its entire electric bus fleet as well (7 buses $865,000 each). Each of these EV programs have been nothing short of a colossal failure and waste of taxpayer dollars."

According to KCRG, Iowa City's entire fleet of four electric buses—funded at a cost of $6 million—has been indefinitely sidelined due to the bankruptcy of manufacturer Proterra, which supplied both the buses and essential repair parts. The city confirmed that no timeline exists for bringing the buses back into service and that replacement parts are currently unavailable. These setbacks have disrupted Iowa City’s planned transition to clean transit and reignited concerns over the reliability of emerging electric vehicle (EV) technology in small and mid-sized municipalities.

KCCI reported that the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) officially scrapped its entire fleet of seven electric buses—originally purchased at $865,000 each—after several years of operational failures. The vehicles were expected to last 10 years and were 75% funded through federal grants. However, they were pulled from service after less than two years due to excessive maintenance needs and unreliability, with operability recorded at just 60% during their limited service. This decision marks a complete reversal of DART's electric transit ambitions.

According to an August 2025 article by American Greatness, the USPS EV fleet contract has faced extensive delays, cost overruns, and unfulfilled production goals. The Oshkosh Corporation was tasked with producing tens of thousands of EVs but has only delivered a fraction of what was promised. Internal sources cited by the publication suggest logistical bottlenecks and supplier challenges are hindering progress, leading critics to argue that USPS should terminate the contract and reassess its overall EV strategy.

Spectrum News reports that several Republican lawmakers have called for defunding or pausing the USPS electric vehicle program due to budget inefficiencies and rural service limitations. Legislators expressed concern that infrastructure and vehicle range requirements were incompatible with delivery routes in remote areas. While USPS maintains that the initiative supports long-term sustainability, opposition has grown amid slow vehicle rollouts and underwhelming performance metrics.

Williams has built a career intersecting agriculture, business operations, and conservative public policy. He earned a degree in Operations Management and Information Systems from Bradley University before working for major agricultural seed companies. Williams later transitioned into business strategy consulting with The Context Network, advising clients on agribusiness development and operational efficiency.