Visitors to the U.S. Postal Service's headquarters in Washington, D.C., will now see a new addition out front: the zero-emission electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), designed for the Postal Service’s deliveries.
These vehicles, part of the Postal Service’s ambitious fleet replacement initiative, have already made deliveries to households and businesses in areas around the country. The first NGDVs were delivered to the Postal Service by Oshkosh Defense in may and will be used to replace the current fleet of right-hand drive Long Life Vehicles.
Providing a Safer and More Comfortable Work Environment
Modernization of the Postal Service’s delivery fleet is part of the organization’s 10-year Delivering for American plan — a $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve the Postal Service’s processing, transportation and delivery networks.
A better employee experience
The new vehicles have been designed with employee safety and comfort in mind, with features such as improved visibility, ergonomic seating, air conditioning, safety improvements and user-friendly operations .
Improving service and reliability
The increased cargo capacity of the vehicles aims to enable the transportation of more packages per trip, leading to a reduction in the number of required trips and resulting in greater efficiency. Coupled with improved reliability, the vehicles minimize downtime for maintenance and repairs, ensuring consistent and timely delivery service.
Reducing carbon emissions
These zero-emission vehicles, which will form most of the Postal Service’s new vehicle acquisitions, are also a step toward the Postal Service's goal to reduce both its carbon footprint and operational costs.
In June, the Biden-Harris administration honored the Postal Service with a Presidential Federal Sustainability Award for advancing the sustainability and climate resilience of the U.S. government in ways that cut energy costs, reduce emissions and grow our economy.
Ongoing commitment to modernizing America’s largest and oldest federal fleet
In December 2022, USPS announced plans to acquire 106,000 new vehicles, including at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles. This includes 45,000 battery electric NGDVs and another 21,000 commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) battery electric vehicles.
In February 2023, the Postal Service placed its first order for 9,250 electric COTS vehicles as well as for more than 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
In total, the Postal Service will invest $9.6 billion for vehicle modernization. Strategic deployment of additional vehicles will continue during the next five years, prioritizing areas based on factors such as delivery volume, infrastructure readiness and operational needs.
