08/08/2022
From the NGDV Wikipedia page regarding its design:
Described as the 'duck-billed option', Oshkosh's NGDV has been designed to maximize interior volume and outward visibility for drivers who will be required to move against traffic in pedestrian-heavy areas. It is also tall enough for a person to stand inside and work. Current-generation automotive safety features employed by the design include air bags, a 360-degree camera, automatic emergency braking, and collision avoidance systems. The sliding door cab is air-conditioned.
Around 50% of the first order will be battery-electric, the remainder using a four-cylinder gasoline engine. Either powertrain option can be built for future orders, and ICE configuration models can be converted to battery-electric if required. Ford Component Sales will provide Oshkosh with key parts for both the battery-electric and ICE versions including the engine and transmission, plus suspensions and other components including cabin interiors. An earlier Oshkosh proposal had been based around the Ford Transit van.
Oshkosh's design would have a fuel efficiency of just 14 miles per gallon, or 8.6 mpg when the air conditioning is on. The combined vehicle weight including payload is 8,501 pounds, just one pound over the EPA's threshold to be considered a heavy-duty truck, allowing it to avoid pollution emissions standards for light trucks.Senators Ed Markey and Martin Heinrich, joined by other members of Congress and environmental organizations, sent a letter criticizing USPS and Oshkosh for the vehicles' inefficiency and the use of incorrect data in their environmental impact statement.
