Momentum - April 2021 - 23

Today's Engineering

OSHKOSH DEFENSE WON THE LONG-AWAITED
CONTRACTto manufacture the U.S. Postal
Service's next generation of postal delivery
vehicles, which are expected to begin appearing
on routes in 2023. Speculation ahead of the
February 23 announcement was that electric
powertrains would be a primary method of
propulsion, fueled by the Biden Administration's
stated focus of electrifying the U.S. government's
vehicle fleet. Mail trucks represent an ideal use
case for electrification. They run the same routes
daily, averaging between 10 to 30 miles per day,
and return to a common facility after each shift
for charging.
Indeed, battery-electric (BEV) powertrains
are mentioned as part of the contract's initial
$482 million investment for Oshkosh Defense to
finalize the production design of the Next
Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), along with
plant tooling and build-out. The Wisconsin-based
manufacturer is still evaluating which of its U.S.
manufacturing locations is best suited to NGDV
production.
But the program also calls for " fuel-efficient "
internal combustion engines (ICEs). The
purpose-built, right-hand-drive NGDVs will be
" retrofittable " to keep pace with advances in
electric-vehicle and other emerging drivetrain
technologies as they become mature and offer
operational savings.
Oshkosh will assemble between 50,000 to
165,000 next-gen vehicles during the next 10
years. A spokesperson for the USPS initially told
SAE International that information on the
expected split between BEVs and ICE vehicles is
not available. A day later, however, U.S.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told a
Congressional hearing that the Postal Service
was committed to electric vehicles making up
about 10 percent of its new fleet. He said that an
all-electric fleet would have added billions of
dollars in costs to the project.
" 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, " the spokesperson replied,
offering a similar response regarding the

MOMENTUM

USPS

OSHKOSH DEFENSE SELECTED TO
ASSEMBLE NEXT-GEN MAIL TRUCKS

Driver comfort and active safety were design priorities for the Postal Service's nextgeneration delivery vehicle.
potential application of hybrid-electrics and other alternative fuels.

HVAC AND ACTIVE SAFETY
Oshkosh emerged from the five-year procurement process to supply the
next-gen delivery vehicles, beating out five other companies including Ohiobased EV maker Workhorse Group. The NGDV vehicles will feature airconditioning and heating, improved ergonomics and a significant upgrade in
active 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-be-released, 10-year plan
to become the " preferred delivery service provider for the American
public. " n
By Ryan Gehm, editor-in-chief of SAE International's
Truck and Off-Highway Engineering magazine.

April 2021 23

Momentum - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Momentum - April 2021