- The U.S. Postal Service has awarded Oshkosh Defense the contract to replace the aging Grumman LLV trucks that are currently delivering mail across the country.
- The contract includes an initial $482 million investment from the USPS to finalize the design of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV).
- The new vehicles will include both battery-electric vehicles and those with low-emission internal-combustion engines. They are expected to be delivering mail by 2023.
The United States Postal Service (USPS), after over 5 years of searching, has awarded Oshkosh Defense of Wisconsin with the contract to replace its aging fleet of mail-delivery trucks. The contract includes an initial $482 million investment from the USPS in Oshkosh to finalize the design of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) and to begin the tooling of an assembly plant.
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Though the design isn't finalized yet, the concept for the proposed truck has predictably turning heads:
The NGDVs will replace the Grumman LLVs, which currently serve as the USPS's mail-delivery trucks. The trucks in service were manufactured between 1987 and 1994 and were intended to only have 24-year lifespans; all have passed that age. The Oshkosh-built trucks are estimated to be delivering mail by 2023.
Stuff We Love: The Best Items to Keep in Your Car This Winter
Anker Jump Starter/Battery Pack
This is a two-for-one space saver as this jump starter from Anker also serves as a battery back for smartphones. It's always good to have some extra juice on hand.
Compact and sturdy, this shovel for SOG should be more than enough to help dig your car out of any snowy conditions.
Pendleton Twin Wool Camp Blanket
If your car gets stuck and your heater doesn't work—you're in serious trouble. This blanket will help keep you warm until help arrives.
If you're having trouble getting the ice off your car, this will help things along.
The NGDVs that Oshkosh will build will include both battery-electric vehicles and low-emission internal-combustion-engine vehicles, both of which will be able to be retrofitted to keep up with the latest EV tech. They will also have air conditioning and airbags—both of which the current trucks lack—as well as heat, a 360-degree camera, a front and rear collision avoidance system, and automated emergency braking.
Oshkosh agreed to what is called an indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, meaning the USPS will be able to order more of the vehicles throughout the 10-year contract. During that time, the contract stipulates that the USPS will order anywhere between 50,000 and 165,000 of the vehicles.
Oshkosh Defense is known for the vehicles it manufactures for the military. The USPS selected Oshkosh over Karsan and Workhorse.
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Colin Beresford, a born and raised metro Detroiter, has been surrounded by the auto industry his entire life. For most of his formative years, he didn’t know who in their right mind would drive anything but an American-made car. He’s passionate about all the ways that people get around, even if it doesn’t involve a car or a driver. What he looks for in a vehicle is simple: it needs to be able to get him where the skiing, climbing, backpacking, or fly fishing is.
