WASHINGTON — Your friendly U.S. Postal Service mail carrier’s ride is about to get an upgrade.
The USPS confirmed late Tuesday it has awarded a 10-year, $482 million contract to Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense, to manufacture its Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, or NGDV.
The first NGDVs are expected to hit streets in 2023, representing the first such overhaul in three decades and the first step in a multi-billion dollar fleet modernization investment.
“The historic investment is part of a soon-to-be-released plan the Postal Service has developed to transform its financial performance and customer service over the next 10 years through significant investments in people, technology and infrastructure as it seeks to become the preferred delivery service provider for the American public,” the USPS said in a prepared statement.
For perspective, CNN Business offered the following snapshot:
“This ubiquitous fleet of 200,000 vehicles has been around longer than such common features of modern life as smartphones, online shopping, social media, streaming services or Google. About 70% of them are between 25 and 32 years old. DVDs have come and gone into people’s lifestyle in that time.”
According to the USPS, the NGDV is a “purpose-built, right-hand-drive vehicle for mail and package delivery,” for which Oshkosh Defense will finalize the production design. All told, the agency expects to roll out between 50,000 and 165,000 NGDVs – equipped with either fuel-efficient internal combustion engines or battery electric powertrains – within the next 10 years.
Moreover, the vehicles can be retrofitted to “keep pace with advances in electric vehicle technologies,” the USPS stated.
The new vehicles will also feature air conditioning, 360-degree cameras, air bags, traction control and collision-avoidance systems, KIRO-TV reported.
The vehicles will also have increased cargo capacity to “maximize efficiency and better accommodate higher package volumes stemming from the growth of e-commerce,” the agency stated.
“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 stated. “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.”
Cox Media Group
