Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2021 - 28

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT

" The Postal Service
recognizes that powertrain
technology may change
significantly over the
available 20-year life of
the NGDV, and as such, the
USPS selected a flexible
design platform that can
accommodate advancements
in technology. "
- USPS spokesperson to
TOHE magazine

Driver comfort and active safety were design priorities for the Postal Service's next-generation
delivery vehicle.
aims to allocate $6 billion to drastically
increase the percentage of EVs in the
USPS delivery fleet. No further action
was taken prior to going to press.

HVAC and active safety

Oshkosh emerged from the five-year
procurement process to supply the nextgen delivery vehicles, beating out five
other companies including Ohio-based
EV maker Workhorse Group, which met
with USPS representatives following the
announcement to discuss the decision
and future options. The NGDV vehicles

Increased cargo
capacity is another
benefit of the new
design, allowing
the USPS to
accommodate
higher package
volumes.

will feature air-conditioning and heating,
improved ergonomics and a significant
upgrade in sensing and safety technologies. The safety suite includes 360-degree cameras, advanced braking and
traction control, airbags, a front- and
rear-collision avoidance system that includes visual and audio warnings and
automatic braking.
Increased cargo capacity is another
benefit of the new design, allowing the
USPS to better accommodate higher
package volumes stemming from the
growth of e-commerce, DeJoy said. " 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, " he said.
The multi-billion-dollar contract with
Oshkosh begins the process to replace
and expand the Postal Service's aging
delivery-vehicle fleet. A large portion of
its 230,000-vehicle fleet has been in
service for 30 years. The investment is
part of the Postal Service's soon-to-bereleased, 10-year plan to become the
" preferred delivery service provider for
the American public. "
Ryan Gehm

28 April 2021

TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

BOTH IMAGES: USPS

Opposition to the inclusion of conventional ICE powertrains was swift. For example, the Zero Emission Transportation
Association's (ZETA) executive director
Joe Britton issued a statement immediately following the USPS announcement.
ZETA advocates that all vehicles sold by
2030 be electric.
" U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy
is trying to lock our postal vehicle fleet
into decades of carbon-intensive transportation, " Britton said. " This directly
conflicts with the Administration's stated goals and is certain to see swift
pushback from appropriators who have
sought to drive USPS vehicle electrification. We encourage others to join us in
speaking out about this decision and
call on Congress to act. "
A U.S. House bill introduced on March 8

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2021

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