USPS is lastly rolling out its much-anticipated Subsequent Technology Supply Autos (NGDVs), and the primary fleet of them to enter service in Atlanta, Georgia is incomes rave evaluations from supply drivers in accordance with an AP report.
The method of electrifying Publish Workplace automobiles has been lengthy within the making, with bids and proposals reaching again to the mid-2010s.
After a variety of backwards and forwards, USPS lastly settled on a contract with Oshkosh in 2021, however the authentic plan solely included some 10% electrical vans. The overwhelming majority of the acquisition would nonetheless include 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 automobiles 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.
After all, as we’ve develop into aware of on this complete 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 had been put in in January) to very constructive 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 So each mail truck on the street at this time is a minimum of 30 years outdated.
And people outdated automobiles endure from myriad issues.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), don’t have any air con, onerous to face up in, and their solely security function is mirrors that continually fall out of alignment. AP additionally factors out that just about 100 LLVs caught hearth final 12 months – a standard occasion on the subject of inner combustion automobiles.
The NGDVs enhance on the outdated LLVs in each certainly one of these facets. They’re extra environment friendly, not noisy or smelly, have air con, enable drivers to face up and stroll by means of the automobile to get packages, and are chock filled with security options each for the driving force and to assist improve security of different street customers like pedestrians, cyclists, pet canines, and so forth. The NGDVs have around-view cameras, 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 provider union chief Brian Renfroe mentioned there’s a variety of pleasure amongst postal employees in regards to the new automobiles.
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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