89 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Andrew J. Hawkins

Andrew J. Hawkins

Transportation editor

Transportation editor

    More From Andrew J. Hawkins

    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    The US Postal Service’s electric delivery truck is super behind schedule.

    The mail agency was supposed to have 3,000 electric delivery trucks by November, but instead defense contractor Oshkosh has only delivered 93. And the trucks that have been delivered are in rough shape:

    The trucks required significant fixes before they could be declared fit for use. Oshkosh employees found parts installed incorrectly, shoddy construction and faulty software, according to three people familiar with the situation.

    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Cruise’s demise will cost Microsoft $800 million.

    In a regulatory filing, Microsoft said it would “record an impairment charge of approximately $800 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025” tied to GM’s decision to defund its robotaxi subsidiary Cruise. Microsoft has been a minority investor in Cruise and a strategic partner since 2021. For example, Cruise used Azure to manage its (now defunct) robotaxi fleet.

    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Air New Zealand leases electric aircraft from Beta Technologies.

    The Vermont-based startup provided a tech demonstrator aircraft to use for mail delivery across the island in 2025. The air carrier also purchased several charging solutions to keep the battery-powered aircraft in flight. Air New Zealand will use the aircraft to familiarize itself with Beta’s technology, including pilot and maintenance teams and route-planning.

    Beta recently conducted the first flight of its production Alia aircraft.
    Beta recently conducted the first flight of its production Alia aircraft.
    Image: BETA Technologies/Brian Jenkins
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Cruisin’ for a bruisin’.

    Cruise co-founder and ex-CEO Kyle Vogt — the one who got ousted after the company withheld footage from regulators of one of its robotaxis dragging a pedestrian — kept it short and sweet when reacting to GM’s surprising announcement that it was pulling funding from the beleaguered company.

    Not mincing words.
    Not mincing words.
    Screenshot: X.com
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    Andrew J. Hawkins
    The electric USPS truck is in Trump’s crosshairs.

    The US Postal Service is supposed to add 66,000 electric trucks to its fleet by 2028 using $3 billion from Biden’s climate legislation. But Reuters is now saying that Donald Trump is likely to kill the effort by cancelling the contracts with supplying automakers Oshkosh and Ford. It’s yet another example of Trump’s eagerness to unspool his predecessor’s efforts to promote EVs.