The USPS is finally rolling out its much-anticipated next-generation delivery vehicles (NGDVs), and the first fleet of these vehicles to go into service in Atlanta, Georgia, is receiving rave reviews from delivery workers, according to an AP report.

The process of electrifying postal vehicles has been underway for a long time, with offers and proposals dating back to the mid-2010s.

After much back and forth, the USPS finally agreed to a contract with Oshkosh in 2021, but the original plan only called for about 10% electric trucks. The vast majority of the purchase would still be gas guzzlers that get 8.6 mpg.

So the back and forth continued, with hearings in the Congressional Committee, lawsuits and the Senate (and of course us here at Electrek) and all urged corrupt Postmaster General DeJoy to get serious about electrifying the fleet – one of President Biden’s first commitments in office.

All of this pressure led the USPS to double down on its purchase intent, then double down again, and finally commit to buying 100% BEVs after 2026, with only a small number of fossil-fueled vehicles coming out of Oshkosh by then. The USPS will also buy a certain number of off-the-shelf electric vehicles, with a large contract for 9,250 E-Transits already awarded to Ford.

Of course, as we’ve learned throughout the process, there have been delays in the rollout of NGDVs, but now AP is reporting on the USPS’s first fleet of electric vehicles, which has just been rolled out in Georgia (where the first electric vehicle charging stations were installed in January) and has had very positive results.

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The previous mail truck, the Grumman LLV, was built from 1986 to 1994. This means that every mail truck on the road today is at least 30 years old.

And these old vehicles suffer from myriad problems. Not only do they get only 9 miles per gallon, they are loud, smelly (I have to close my window every day when the mail truck comes by), have no air conditioning, you can barely stand in them, and their only safety feature is mirrors that constantly fall out of alignment. AP also points out that nearly 100 LLVs caught fire last year – a common occurrence when it comes to internal combustion vehicles.

The NGDVs are better than the old LLVs in every one of these ways. They are more efficient, not noisy or smelly, have air conditioning, allow drivers to get up and walk through the vehicle to get packages, and are packed with safety features both for the driver and to improve the safety of other road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, etc. The NGDVs have surround view cameras, blind spot monitors, and collision sensors.

AP’s article quoted drivers, one of whom said the air conditioning “felt like the sky was blowing in my face,” and another said the larger, higher package tray helped him avoid back pain because he didn’t have to squat. And postal workers’ union leader Brian Renfroe said the new vehicles were popular with postal workers.

Electrek’s opinion

USPS, PLEASE REPLACE THE POSTAL VEHICLE FOR THE ROUTE THAT LEADS TO MY HOUSE. IT’S TRUE. IT FAILS TO START EVERY OTHER DAY. USPS, PLEEEEEEEEE

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