USPS is lastly rolling out its much-anticipated Subsequent Era Supply Autos (NGDVs), and the primary fleet of them to enter service in Atlanta, Georgia is incomes rave critiques from supply drivers based on an AP report.
The method of electrifying Publish Workplace autos has been lengthy within the making, with bids and proposals reaching again to the mid-2010s.
After loads of backwards and forwards, USPS lastly settled on a contract with Oshkosh in 2021, however the authentic plan solely included some 10% electrical vehicles. The overwhelming majority of the acquisition would nonetheless encompass 8.6mpg fuel guzzlers.
So the back-and-forth continued, with Congressional committee hearings, lawsuits, and the Senate (and, after all, we right here at Electrek) all pushing corrupt Postmaster DeJoy into making an actual dedication to affect the fleet – as was certainly one of President Biden’s first commitments in workplace.
All this stress resulted within the USPS doubling after which doubling once more its buy intent, and eventually committing to 100% BEV purchases after 2026, with solely a small variety of fossil-powered autos to come back from Oshkosh earlier than then. USPS can even purchase some variety of off-the-shelf EVs, with a giant contract already handed out to Ford for 9,250 E-Transits.
In fact, as we’ve change into accustomed to on this entire course of, the rollout of NGDVs was additionally delayed, however now AP is reporting on the primary fleet of USPS EVs, which has simply rolled out in Georgia (the place its first EV charging stations have been put in in January) to very optimistic outcomes.
Drivers love new NGDVs – extra options, extra security, much less stress
The earlier mail truck, the Grumman LLV, was constructed from 1986-1994. So each mail truck on the highway as we speak is a minimum of 30 years previous.
And people previous autos endure from myriad issues. Not solely do they solely get 9 miles per gallon, they’re additionally noisy, smelly (I’ve to shut my window daily when the mail truck comes round), haven’t any air-con, onerous to face up in, and their solely security function is mirrors that consistently fall out of alignment. AP additionally factors out that almost 100 LLVs caught hearth final yr – a standard occasion with regards to inner combustion autos.
The NGDVs enhance on the previous LLVs in each certainly one of these facets. They’re extra environment friendly, not noisy or smelly, have air-con, permit drivers to face up and stroll via the automobile to get packages, and are chock stuffed with security options each for the motive force and to assist improve security of different highway customers. The NGDVs have around-view digicam, blind spot screens and collision sensors.
AP quoted drivers in its article, with one stating the air-con “felt like heaven blowing in my face,” and one other saying the bigger and taller bundle space helps him keep away from again ache by not having to crouch. And mail service union chief Brian Renfroe mentioned there’s loads of pleasure amongst postal staff in regards to the new autos.
Electrek’s Take
USPS PLEASE REPLACE THE POSTAL VEHICLE FOR THE ROUTE THAT GOES TO MY HOUSE. ITS SO SMELLY. IT FAILS TO START EVERY OTHER DAY. USPS PLEEEAAASSSEEE
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