Things haven’t been going so well for those familiar-looking Grumman Long Life Vehicles the United States Post Office uses to deliver the mail day in and day out. Not only have those vehicles become increasingly expensive to repair, but several examples have caught fire recently. Making matters worse, the current fleet was only supposed to make it through 2017. And yet, USPS has just narrowed down its replacement to three options, one of which is the Ford Transit.
The Oshkosh Corporation and Ford Motor Company are one of the three teams vying to become the new USPS delivery vehicle supplier of choice with a specially modified version of the ICE-powered Ford Transit cargo van. The other two teams consist of electric truck maker Workhorse Group and truck body maker VT Hackney with an all-electric offering, and commercial electric vehicle maker Karsan, which has teamed up with USPS supplier Morgan Olsen to design a plug-in hybrid.
The winner of this showdown nabs a $6 billion dollar, 180,000 vehicle contract, but the decision on which team to choose has been delayed several times already. Now, it’s been pushed back yet again, as USPS just revealed. Citing the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in order to provide for capital investment activities and required approvals, the program schedule has been revised and a decision is now planned for Q2 of 2021.
This isn’t the first time USPS has missed its target, as the mail service previously said it would make a decision in 2018, 2019, and most recently, the end of 2020. All three teams submitted their latest proposals back in July, and USPS has been working on making a decision ever since. However, it’s also possible that more than one team could be chosen, with vehicles ultimately being purchased from multiple entities.
We’ll have more on this as soon as it’s available, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Transit news and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
They just took delivery of MERCEDES BENZ METRIS’s because they are the only van that bridges the gap between a full size and a TRANSIT CONNECT. Perhaps full size vans are used for the heaviest routes with the big parcels.
Haven’t I seen some USPS Transit Connect vans on the road already? I thought I saw one in an USPS commercial as well.
There are some out there, but they’re working on a new model that would replace the 140,000+ Grummans that are currently in service. It’s a huge, $6 billion contract.
They’ve been buying Ram Promasters since 2015. The old Grumman bodied trucks are powered by GM’s Iron Duke 2.5L I4.
Delays at the USPS-go figure, huh?
Those RAM vans may be too big for many routes. Funny that they covered the MERCEDES logo with their own on those METRIS’s. They’re afraid that people will think they paid too much. The size seems right for those. I still remember when those old postal trucks were new. They admittedly held up pretty well. I see they have many. DODGE GRAND CARAVAN’s too.
The USPS should buy the electric “E-Transit” and hybrid models, since the majority of actual postal carrier routes are less than 100 miles a day, and these two models will lower cost of operation, reducing gasoline consumption and engine maintenance. They will also be quiet and clean in major urban city area and suburban residential areas. My father who was a mail carrier in the 1960s and 1970s would had loved to drive an “E-Transit” on his routes.
All electric does seem to be the way to go but where they would be deployed will take a lot of chargers. Installing chargers would be a huge expense and they themselves will need required maintenance. If EV trucks are in the 200 plus mile range, a charge maybe needed every two or three days, therefore, one charger per vehicle would not be needed.
EV’s in an urban or suburban environment makes sense. Out in the farm lands of the USA, ICE or hybrids make more sense especially during very cold weather events that would limit range and the use of the electric heaters, therefore, the USPS needs a mix.
It’s an exciting time with EV’s soon will take hold and if I was 20 years old again looking for a career, I would sure pursue this field.
Thanks for the info! Ford should get the contract simply based on their patriotism during this pandemic. The way Ford stepped up to mass produce ventilators and face shields in record time was amazing.