Last year in February the US Postal Service known as USPS awarded a contract to Oshkosh Defense to develop “Next Generation Delivery Vehicles”. It is part of the US Postal Service going electric, where the delivery vans are designed to come in both combustion and electric powertrain variants. Last week members of President Joe Biden’s administration sent letters to the Postal Service. It was to address the plans to buy gas-powered vehicles. Upon which the USPS announces its plans to achieve 70% fleet electrification by increasing its number of electric delivery vans orders.
On Sunday the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced its plans for initial delivery vans order. Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy announced plans to increase their electric vehicle fleet. Added that additional funding would be made available for this purpose. Furthermore, DeJoy elaborated on the financial aspects. Also stated, “Moreover, comparisons of the Postal Service to private sector multi-national corporations that report yearly profits in the billions of dollars, and that are not required to go to 161 million delivery addresses in all climates and topographies six days per week, are not relevant in view of our perilous financial condition and universal service mission,”
USPS delivery van
The agency stated that its cost estimates—presumably referring to costs related to the NGDV—including the price of charging infrastructure. It plans to charge delivery vans in bulk at USPS facilities. The Postal Service is analyzing state and local electrical grid capacity to determine any potential upgrades it needs to implement at the grid level.
DeJoy stated, “We will be resolute in making decisions that are grounded in our financial situation and what we can realistically achieve while pushing hard to take delivery of safer, cleaner vehicles by next year. Given our large fiscal deficits and significant financial challenges, Congress is well aware of the additional resources that would be required if Congress would prefer the Postal Service to accelerate the electrification of our delivery vehicle fleet as a matter of public policy,”
The USPS delivery van will be developed by Oshkosh as a part of a 10-year deal. During the announcement last year, it was stated that the new delivery van would “drive the most dramatic modernization of the USPS fleet in three decades.” Below is the vehicle designed as unveiled last year. Oshkosh hasn’t finalized the product design yet, and it would be the right time for the USPS to order more electric vehicles.
