The next-generation USPS mail carrier from Oshkosh Defense has been mired in controversy since the post office awarded that company a massive $6 billion dollar contract last February. That decision has faced legal troubles and political opposition due to the fact that Oshkosh Defense will only build a mixture of 10 percent electric and 90 percent ICE-powered vehicles, in spite of President Joe Biden’s executive order directing the government to electrify its entire fleet. The future mail carrier most recently came under fire from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which criticized its potential impact on the environment, though USPS recently stated that it intends to move forward regardless. Now, five U.S. lawmakers are asking the Postal Service Office of Inspector General to review whether or not USPS complied with environmental regulations during this entire process, according to Reuters.
“Given the potential environmental impact of the (delivery vehicle) contract, it is crucial that the Postal Service conduct a robust environmental analysis prior to moving forward,” House Oversight and Reform Committee chair Carolyn Maloney and Representatives Gerald Connolly, Jared Huffman, Stephen Lynch, and Brenda Lawrence said in a letter to the federal watchdog. The lawmakers also questioned why USPS assumed “an upfront vehicle cost for an electric (delivery vehicle) that is substantially higher than other electric delivery vehicles being sold to private companies.”
As it did previously, USPS responded by saying that it had completed its environmental obligations and declined to hold a new hearing. Previously, the post office noted that it is willing to increase the percentage of planned electric vehicles in its fleet, but will require additional government funding to do so.
Post Office vehicles comprise one-third of the total government fleet, and USPS intends to purchase around 165,000 next-generation models over the next ten years. However, the new mail carriers from Oshkosh – which will feature engines, transmissions, suspension parts, and other components from Ford – are only expected to present a 0.4 mile-per-gallon improvement in fuel economy over the outgoing Grumman LLVs, or around 8.6 miles-per-gallon.
We’ll have more on the next-gen postal delivery vehicle soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
Could have predicted this. Over spec and over build something, even the feds will take notice. I still see so many MB METRIS vans and they seem to be fine for a heck of a lot less $$$ and free of red tape. In the end, this will cost more. You can take that to what’s left of the bank.
Government mandate of all electric is asinine.
– It’s not warm everywhere
– There is no charging infrastructure everywhere
– Where there is charging infrastructure the electrical grids are already over taxed
– Electric vehicles are more expensive to build
– Electric powertrains are more expensive to replace
– Harvesting materials to manufacture batteries is more destructive to the environment
– Materials to manufacture batteries are more limited than fossil fuels
– Cost to manufacture batteries is going up, not down, due to raw material scarcity
Government wants to meddle, government should be pushing hybrids. Electricity is not free. Electricity is not pollution free. Every single, major solar and/or wind farm on the planet is backed by a coal or natural gas power plant, because the farms are not capable of standalone operation. Without the backup, the farms would fail and the masses would be upset.
The world is not ready for all electric. It would nice if it was, but it’s not.
Yes, it all sounds great on paper but the support structure is still lacking. The three major school bus builders BLUEBIRD, THOMAS and IC(NAVISTAR) offer electric versions of their buses. From the buses themselves, no emissions and little noise but as you said, where does the power to charge them come from? I would bet you a steak dinner that these operators and even some USPS stations may have a diesel generator to supplement wind and solar. A TESLA S would be great as well and that LUCID sedan. If someone would give me one, Great!!! But then I would have to have an electrician come over to the house at great cost to install a charging stand. Just multiply that several dozen time for the USPS. Must be nice to be an electrician. They will be sitting on Ft. Knox for years to come on these charging stands.
The main thing I don’t like about the government’s program is that they are moving from voluntary decisions to MANDATORY…..
The most natural thing is to let consumers purchase the vehicles using their own decision….. Certainly the current high gasoline prices are going to generate automatically plenty of converts.
In Draconian NY State where I am, they are seriously stating that I’m not to be allowed to replace my 8 gas appliances with gas ones…. They must all be electric – as well as new construction must be Totally Electric Heat ! This uses FAR MORE electricity on a yearly basis than converting the entire transportation fleet to EVs….
But they’ve banned Coal usage in NY State, so 3 quite large coal central stations (Including one I was 3 miles downwind of for all my life) are now shuttered – soon to be demolished. What a Waste…..
The reason they can get away with that is all the manufacturing in Western NY is basically in either Japan or China or Vietnam now.
I drive 3 plug-in vehicles, but it was MY CHOICE to purchase them… I don’t like the fact that I’m forced to buy electric appliances when I am more happy with the gas-fired ones, and their operating cost will be much lower than with anything electric…
An EV on the other hand, is far cheaper to operate. But no one should be forced into buying them that don’t want them.
Why aren’t they using a Ford Diesel engine or better still l.p.g. cnc gas or hydrogen ford engine’s .
This is all about this not being built in a union friendly state…
Who can blame them? Who wants those goons?