Meet the Next US Postal Service Delivery Vehicle, Ladies and Gentlemen

Oshkosh Defence will be awarded a 10-year contract for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle.

Grumman Long Life Vehicle, aptly named, has been the official vehicle for the United States Postal Service over 30 years. But all good things must end. Your packages and parcels will soon arrive at your door via the Oshkosh Defense Next Generation delivery vehicle, or NGDV, for short. Oshkosh will finish the design of the NGDV and put it into production under a 10-year USPS Contract.

The van, like its predecessor will be right-hand drive. It also features a cartoonish, friendly design. Grumman LLV’s best strengths are its forward visibility and low cowl. A higher roofline and larger cargo area allows mail carriers to organize deliveries more efficiently and access parcels from their cockpit. A curbside sliding cargo door and an automatic parking brake make it easier for mail carriers to exit the vehicle in order to deliver a package.

The Oshkosh NGVDV is crucial for delivery people in our country. It fixes the Grumman’s biggest problem, which was its lack of AC. The NGDV will be equipped with AC to improve worker safety during hot days. Additional features include driver’s airbag, automatic braking front and rear, bumper-mounted parking sensors and blind spot monitoring. Forward collision warning is also available. 360-degree cameras are also included. Wraparound body cladding and robust front and rear bumpers help to prevent damage to the van and surroundings in the event that a low speed crash occurs.

The cheerful, smiling vanlets can choose to have their power come from an all-electric or fuel-efficient internal combustion engine. The EV versions can also be retrofitted to adapt to future developments in battery technology. That ties in with President Joe Biden’s commitment to replace the federal government’s fleet of vehicles with zero-tailpipe-emissions alternatives

Oshkosh Defense will begin construction of the NGDV once the design is complete (using the $482 million USPS contract investment). Oshkosh Defense will begin building the NGDV in 2023. There are an estimated 50,000-150,000 vans. Oshkosh is currently evaluating which US manufacturing facilities could be used for increased production.