US postal service to include EVs

The US Postal Service (USPS) will get up to 165,000 next generation delivery vehicles (NGDVs) in either battery electric or fuel-efficient powertrains over the next 10 years.

It has awarded a contract to Oshkosh Defense for the NGDVs as part of a multi-billion-dollar UPS upgrade of its more than 230,000 vehicles, with the first NGDVs likely to be operating in 2023.

The investment is included in a soon-to-be released 10-year plan to transform USPS into the preferred delivery service provider for the American public, aiming to reduce fleet costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the contract’s initial US$482 million investment, Oshkosh Defense will finalise production design of the NGDV — a purpose-built, right-hand drive vehicle for mail and package delivery — and will assemble 50,000 to 165,000 of them.

The vehicles will be equipped with either battery electric powertrains or fuel-efficient internal combustion engines (ICE) which can be retrofitted with EV technologies.

“The US 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 Louis DeJoy says. “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.”

The NGDV vehicles will include air conditioning and heating, improved ergonomics, and some of the most advanced vehicle technology — including 360-degree cameras, advanced braking and traction control, air bags, a front and rear-collision avoidance system that includes visual, audio warning, and automatic braking.

The vehicles will have increased cargo capacity to handle the growth of eCommerce.

“Our fleet modernisation also reflects the postal service’s commitment to a more environmentally sustainable mix of vehicles,” DeJoy says.

He is reported as saying USPS doesn’t have the US$3b or US$4b extra in its plan to buy a nearly full EV fleet.

The NGDV’s design has been lampooned on social media and some critics question why the entire fleet will not become all-electric sooner after US president Joe Biden earlier announced plans to replace the government’s vehicle fleet with locally assembled EVs.

The USPS is a US government agency that is not directly taxpayer funded, getting its revenue from stamps and other service fees, but has reportedly lost billions of dollars over the years.