Oshkosh Corp makes special delivery to land contract with USPS
Founded in 1917 while still a small community, Oshkosh Corporation has grown over the past century to become a top manufacturer of military, commercial, and fire and emergency vehicles. With 147 facilities throughout 22 different countries, a pact to sustainability, and a people-first approach, the company’s quest for global progress continues at full speed.
One of the company’s latest accomplishments was its selection by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to manufacture the new Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV). This contract will cost $480 million over the course of 10 years, and 50,000-165,000 vehicles are expected to be built.
The current vehicles that USPS is actively operating were built between 1987 and 1994 and were given an estimated life span of 24 years. The steady decline of quality and safety over the century has not gone unnoticed.
Over the past five years, numerous companies devised prototypes and proposals for the NGDV. Workhorse, a Cincinnati based electric delivery vehicle manufacturer; Mahindra, a Mumbai based automobile manufacturer; and Karsan, a Turkish coach bus/commercial vehicle manufacturer; all devised prototypes and proposals for the NGDV. Oshkosh Defense partnered with Ford, and their selected model includes modern technology and safety features.
“The new vehicles will include air conditioning, air bags, interlock braking, and stability control, as well as advanced technology such as a 360 degree camera, blind spot monitoring, auto front and rear braking and forward collision warning,” Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of USPS, Scott Bombaugh, said.
Along with the state-of-the-art technological features, there will be two powertrain options; a fuel-efficient internal combustion engine or battery electric. These vehicles are estimated to be operating and on the roads by 2023.
After careful consideration, USPS chose Oshkosh Corporation to manufacture the NGDV because the design and engineering best aligned with their needs. The model will not only help USPS achieve goals, but it will help the United States become a safer and more environmentally friendly nation as well.
“It demonstrates our commitment to pursuing both long term and near term opportunities to reduce our impact on the environment,” Chief Retail and Delivery Officer/Executive Vice President of USPS, Kristin Seaver, said during a media briefing broadcasted by USPS on February 23, 2021. “These vehicles will provide improved safety and ergonomic features.”
Furthermore, Seaver announced that the electric NGDVs will aid in the commitment to sustainability.
“We operate one of the largest fleets in the world, and we take our environmental responsibility very seriously,” he said. “This contract will reduce emissions as we phase out the existing vehicles.”
Oshkosh Defense plans to provide USPS with as many zero-emission electric vehicles as necessary to assist in the nationwide devotion to sustainability.During the media briefing, on behalf of USPS, Seaver underscored the eagerness to work with Oshkosh Defense to build the NGDV.
“We are excited for the NGDV, purposely designed and built to enable the postal service to fulfill our universal service obligation to the nation and deliver into the future,” he said.
Oshkosh Corporation similarly expressed their commitment to the USPS as well as gratitude towards their selection to manufacture the NGDV.
“This award is the latest accomplishment in our 25 years of continuous innovation in electric drive and BEV engineering,” John C. Pfeifer said, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oshkosh Corporation at the Oshkosh Corporation Fiscal 2021 Second Quarter Results Conference Call.
Pfeifer, the new CEO of Oshkosh Corporation as of April 2021, is very proud of the company and all of the employees who worked to help make the contract possible. “I emphasize that we won this program. It was a five-year process, and we won this fairly.”
By Evan Giordano
Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 3
November 29 2021