In February 2021, the USPS announced a $482 million contract with Oshkosh, with the possibility of ordering up to 165,000 vehicles over a decade.
Airbags, other safety equipment, and air conditioning are all standard on the new vehicles.
On the other hand, the USPS estimates that buying and operating 75,000 new gasoline-powered delivery vehicles over a 20-year period will cost $9.3 billion versus $11.6 billion for electric vehicles.
With a fleet of 140,000 older delivery vehicles, USPS operated 217,000 vehicles in 2019 and spent $706.2 million on maintenance.
Even after an order is placed, Oshkosh says its contract “allows the flexibility to increase the percentage of (electric vehicles) to be produced.”
The Postal Service Office of Inspector General has been asked to review Oshkosh’s vehicle purchase plan.
Our aging fleet has urgent vehicle and safety needs, and our financial situation is fragile,” the USPS said last week.