NGDV is designed to be converted from gas to electric power, but the charging stations have to arrive first.

  • Oshkosh Defense wins a 10-year contract to build next-gen mail delivery vehicles for the United States Postal Service, replacing long-lived Grumman LLV.
  • Oshkosh’s NGDV will be designed to be retrofitted from internal combustion power to EV power later in its lifecycle, with production starting in 2023.
  • The USPS would need an EV charging network to be in place before it can begin operating electric delivery vehicles.

The United States Postal Service took the wraps off the design of a new postal delivery vehicle that will be produced by Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense under a 10-year contract starting in 2023, belatedly opening a new chapter in the service’s history when it comes to mail delivery vehicles. The Postal Service calls the plan “the most dramatic modernization of the USPS fleet in three decades,” because that’s about how long it’s been since the small and boxy Grumman mail carrier vehicle was phased into use.

The contract is expected to see Oshkosh Defense produce 50,000 to 165,000 Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) following the finalization of the design of the vehicle, which will be purpose-built to serve the needs of the USPS. The right-hand drive vehicles themselves have been engineered to work with internal combustion and battery-electric powertrains alike, with the design specifying the ability for them to be retrofitted with EV drivetrains at a certain point. This means that after a period of years working with a gas engine, the NGDV will be able to receive a battery and electric motor and stay in service.

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