USPS Sticks With Oshkosh For ICE And BEVs -- Palindromic Wednesday -- 2-23-22

Updates

March 24, 2022:

• USPS: $2.98 billion for 50,000 next-generation delivery vehicles from Oshkosh Corp
• will double its initial planned EV purchases
• much more at the link

Original Post

Oshkosh. I don't think I ever posted this story. I wasn't particularly interested and then when Biden got involved, I became even less interested. My data points, right or wrong:

• USPS has to re-new many of its old, old, old neighborhood mail vans -- those blue-and-white cubes from the 1950s that look like they are on their last leg (or wheel, as it may be)
• going through the typical long and winding bureaucratic maze to make a decision for new vehicles, the decisions was finally made this past month
• the debate came down to gasoline-ICE vs battery
• USPS came down on the side of gasoline-ICE -- specifically ICE vehicles built by Oshkosk
• that didn't sit well with the ideologues in the Biden administration and demanded a "re-look"
• today it's being reported that the USPS didn't back down; they're sticking with their original decision: Oshkosh, by gosh. And, here.

From the linked article:

This action steamrolls the Biden administration's pledge to replace its federal fleet of 600,000 cars and trucks with electric power.

USPS operates 230,000 vehicles, which is approximately 33% of the government fleet.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump ally, has firmly said the full electrification of the USPS fleet wouldn't happen under his watch. Last year, he committed to converting only 10% of its new trucks to electric power.

The decision allows USPS to purchase gasoline-powered trucks from Oshkosh under a $6 billion contract awarded last February.

USPS rejected a bid from electric-vehicle manufacturer Workhorse Group Inc. to electrify its fleet. Workhorse shares slumped as much as 3.5% today on the USPS news to purchase Oshkosh mail trucks.

[In fact, most everything is slumping in the market these days.]

And, more: 

The Postal Service expects its new gasoline-engine mail delivery trucks will achieve a fuel-efficiency of 8.6 miles/USG with air conditioning on or 14.7 miles/USG without, compared to 8.2 miles/USG with its existing fleet of "right-hand drive" delivery trucks that do not have any air conditioning. The US Environmental Protection Agency, in comments on the plan, said the truck acquisition plan "barely" improved fuel-economy over the existing 30-year-old fleet.

From wiki today:

In February 2020, Oshkosh Corporation was named one of the 2020 World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. 

In February 2021, Oshkosh Defense was awarded the U.S. Postal Service's Next Generation Delivery Vehicle mail truck contract for between 50,000 and 165,000 units over ten years, with production start targeted for 2023. 

The fleet will include low-emissions internal combustion engine vehicles as well as battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and could be worth over $6 billion.