Report: Until all of the physical security recommendations are carried out, charging station equipment stored at the facility—worth an amount redacted from the report—remains “at risk of theft.” Image: Red Lemon/Shutterstock.com
In a report whose findings have broader implications as the government moves to increase its use of electric vehicles, the inspector general at the Postal Service has cited lessons being learned during that agency’s similar initiative, including the importance of protecting the valuable charging equipment from theft.
The review focused on steps taken under the commitment by USPS to replace more than 100,000 gas-fueled vehicles with electric-powered ones at a projected cost of some $9.6 billion over 10 years that has included awards to three contractors for charging stations. It said that the Postal Service “conducted effective contract oversight” by testing that the stations conformed to requirements in the contracts and evaluating their short-term reliability.
“However, the Postal Service did not conduct long-term performance monitoring, test with Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, or test the lifespan of the charging stations. Therefore, we cannot opine on the overall reliability of the charging stations,” the report said.
It added that “Due to the nascent nature of the technology, our research did not indicate any consistent or standardized long-term testing practices to validate the service life of the charging stations.”
It further found that “management controls over the storage of charging stations were not effective.” It said that after a theft of IT equipment from a facility was detected, the Postal Inspection Service was called in and recommended stronger physical security controls. As some of those recommendations were carried out, the USPS began storing charging station equipment there; in a second break-in, some of that equipment was stolen. Total losses from the two exceeded $67,000, it said.
The report added that until all of the physical security recommendations are carried out, charging station equipment stored at the facility—worth an amount redacted from the report—remains “at risk of theft.”
“As the Postal Service continues to deliver on the vision to electrify its delivery vehicle fleet, the ongoing testing, monitoring, and safeguarding of the charging stations are critical to mitigating financial and operational risks, as well as ensuring the Postal Service is obtaining the best value,” it said.
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