'USPS winnowed down companies bidding to build the next generation of its delivery vehicles — and one is offering an all-electric truck'
http://www.carscoops.com/2015/04/15-companies-bidding-to-make-next.html 15 Companies Bidding To Make Next-Generation U.S. Postal Service Vehicle April 17, 2015 | by Zac Estrada More than a dozen companies, including many automakers, are interested in building the successor for what the Postal Service uses to transport letters to your mailbox. According to The Wall Street Journal, 15 firms have made it to the first round of the U.S. Postal Service's bidding process to win a contract worth as much as $5 billion and the purchase of 180,000 vehicles to replace the outdated Grumman LLVs that are rooted in 30-year-old General Motors truck technology. In January, WSJ reported GM and Fiat-Chrysler were interested in winning the contract. Now, they say Nissan, Daimler and Mahindra are also in line, as well as defense contractors AM General and Oshkosh Corp. Electric vehicle startups are also on the list, as well as a company that makes vehicles with drones that can carry parcels. The cash-strapped Postal Service is reportedly looking at vehicles that get vastly improved fuel economy to the Grummans, which reportedly see MPG figures in the low teens. Lower repair bills and higher mileage is supposed to help the USPS trim its operating costs. A new vehicle also has to be better able to deal with the fact most customers are ordering lots of packages from online retailers these days, rather than receiving the letters and envelopes the current trucks were designed for. While a startup winning the bid would be interesting, it's much more likely an established company will win the bid. Consider that FCA, Nissan and Daimler are all pushing new commercial van designs in this country now and it's easy to picture what a new postal vehicle could look like. I'm still rooting for a USPS Jeep Wrangler, though. [© carscoops.com] http://www.federaltimes.com/story/government/management/facilities-fleet/2015/04/16/postal-service/25874357/ Postal Service moves ahead with delivery fleet contract Andy Medici April 16, 2015 [image http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2015/04/16/FederalTimes/FederalTimes/635647808276124627-Postaltrucks.JPG (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty images) ] The Postal Service has narrowed the list of companies competing for a multibillion dollar contract to supply the agency with its next generation of delivery vehicles The agency released a list of pre-qualified sources for the contract April 14, which include Ford motor company, AM General LLC, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC and Nissan North America, Inc., among others. The agency looks to award a replacement contract for its aging fleet to just one supplier. That supplier would provide 180,000 vehicles for $25,000 to $35,000 per vehicle – making the potential contract worth more than $4.5 billion. The proposed vehicles would need to last at least 20 years, carry a minimum of 1,500 pounds and pass all safety and emissions requirements across the country. The Postal Service would award several companies a contract to test a prototype and then choose the best from among them, according to the Postal Service. The Postal Service also wants lower maintenance requirements and better fuel economy than its current fleet, as well as design flexibility to allow for the incorporation of future technology, according to the agency. The agency plans on picking the suppliers for the prototype in July, 2015 and will then test the prototypes through September, 2016. The final supplier will be selected in January, 2017, according to the Postal Service. The Postal Service would start receiving and using the vehicles one year later. AMP Holding, Inc., said in a press release it wanted to supply the Postal Service with a fleet of electric vehicles that it claims would meet the price requirements the agency has laid out. "We have always considered ourselves a next generation vehicle manufacturer," said Steve Burns, AMP CEO. "It is an honor for us to move to the next step in this important Post Office program." The full company list is: AM General LLC AMP Holding, Inc Emerald Automotive Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC Ford Motor Company Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation Karsan Company Mahindra North American Technical Center Morgan Olson, LLC Nissan North America, Inc OEM Systems, LLC Oshkosh Corporation Utilimaster Corporation VT Hackney, Inc ZAP Jonway [© federaltimes.com] http://expressparcelandpostal.logistics-business-review.com/news/united-states-postal-service-looks-for-modern-vehicles-for-parcel-delivery-160415-4555053 United States Postal Service looks for modern vehicles for parcel delivery 16 April 2015 Military automobiles called High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), popularly known as Humvees, and luxury sport-utility vehicles are likely to replace the parcel delivery vehicles for United States Postal Service (USPS). USPS is struggling to make postal deliveries with its aging vehicles amidst the growing demands and volume of the e-commerce business. The firm is presently in search of a vehicle which will have a lifespan of around 20 years. It intends to acquire around 180,000 such vehicles over three years, reports The Wall Street Journal. USPS has shortlisted 15 suppliers in the first leg of a competition to deliver modern vehicles, which has an estimated worth of $5bn. Several suppliers have offered proposal after the company requested for bids in January this year, according to USPS spokeswoman Sarah Ninivaggi. The proposals range from drones to gasoline-powered vans to battery-powered vehicles since the postal service provider is open to innovations. Auto manufacturers including Ford Motor, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Nissan Motor, Indian tractor and SUV maker Mahindra & Mahindra, Humvee maker AM General, Daimler AG's heavy-duty truck unit and Wisconsin defense contractor Oshkosh have all submitted their bids for the USPS fleet. Other firms like AMP Holding and Emerald Automotive have also submitted their offers to USPS. While the first one has proposed the next generation mail truck with a drone on its roof, the latter is the developer for an electric van which can initially run 66 miles on battery power and then switches to a combustion engine for recharging the battery. 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