Photo: USPS
One week into the presidency, POTUS Joe Biden said that the entire U.S. federal fleet would be turned electric, stopping short of offering a timeline or more specifics. Still, many assumed the aged-out and fire-prone mail trucks would be the first to go.
After years of delay, the U.S. Postal Service has announced the new generation of delivery trucks after it awarded the modernization fleet contract to military contractor Oshkosh Defense. The Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), a prototype of which is shown in the gallery attached, is expected to make its appearance on routes in 2023, five years after the modernization plan should have been in full effect. Oshkosh is set to deliver up to 165,000 of them over the course of ten years.
The USPS fleet is the largest in the world, counting some 140,000 vehicles. They’re all Grumman Long Life Vehicles (LLVs), and, despite their name, they’re well aged-out. They have a life expectancy of 24 years and the last units were delivered in 1994. Making matters worse is the issue of an ever-increasing incidence of fire, with a recent report saying “hundreds” of them had to be retired after unexpectedly catching fire.
The new NGDVs will feature both a gasoline and electric powertrain, with the USPS saying that retrofitting the gas engines to all-electric will be possible. The gas versions will also be low-emission, so there’s that. Still, the announcement is already causing some controversy since it was widely assumed the new mail trucks would be all-electric right off the bat. According to Reuters, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told lawmakers that USPS has pledged for electric vehicles to make up 10% of the next-generation fleet. Given the new vehicles are scheduled to enter duty in 2023, that raised some eyebrows, despite the claim that gasoline versions could be retrofitted to all-electric.
At least the NGDVs will have air conditioning and heating, which the LLVs infamously lack, more cargo space, better ergonomics, and improved visibility thanks to the wide windshield and very low hood. They will also feature “most advanced vehicle technology,” such as 360-degree cameras, front- and rear-collision avoidance systems with visual and audio warning, automatic braking, traction control and air bags.
“As the American institution that binds our country together, the U.S. Postal Service can have a bright and modern future if we make investments today that position us for excellence tomorrow,” Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy says in a statement. “The NGDV program expands our capacity for handling more package volume and supports our carriers with cleaner and more efficient technologies, more amenities, and greater comfort and security as they deliver every day on behalf of the American people.”
The USPS fleet is the largest in the world, counting some 140,000 vehicles. They’re all Grumman Long Life Vehicles (LLVs), and, despite their name, they’re well aged-out. They have a life expectancy of 24 years and the last units were delivered in 1994. Making matters worse is the issue of an ever-increasing incidence of fire, with a recent report saying “hundreds” of them had to be retired after unexpectedly catching fire.
The new NGDVs will feature both a gasoline and electric powertrain, with the USPS saying that retrofitting the gas engines to all-electric will be possible. The gas versions will also be low-emission, so there’s that. Still, the announcement is already causing some controversy since it was widely assumed the new mail trucks would be all-electric right off the bat. According to Reuters, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told lawmakers that USPS has pledged for electric vehicles to make up 10% of the next-generation fleet. Given the new vehicles are scheduled to enter duty in 2023, that raised some eyebrows, despite the claim that gasoline versions could be retrofitted to all-electric.
At least the NGDVs will have air conditioning and heating, which the LLVs infamously lack, more cargo space, better ergonomics, and improved visibility thanks to the wide windshield and very low hood. They will also feature “most advanced vehicle technology,” such as 360-degree cameras, front- and rear-collision avoidance systems with visual and audio warning, automatic braking, traction control and air bags.
“As the American institution that binds our country together, the U.S. Postal Service can have a bright and modern future if we make investments today that position us for excellence tomorrow,” Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy says in a statement. “The NGDV program expands our capacity for handling more package volume and supports our carriers with cleaner and more efficient technologies, more amenities, and greater comfort and security as they deliver every day on behalf of the American people.”
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