Don’t get used to the funky-looking Oshkosh mail truck. The new Oshkosh mail carrier might get rejected due to having a terrible fuel economy. The Postal Service was so close to getting new trucks, but now their dreams could be delayed. 

The Oshkosh mail truck is thirsty 

The Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t mess around. That’s why the U.S. Postal Service’s estimated $6 billion deal with Oshkosh Defense for a new NGDV mail truck has officially been called into question. 

According to Motor Trend, an EPA letter complained about the poor fuel economy of the proposed mail truck replacement. The EPA urges the Postal Service not to proceed with a decision. The current deal falls short of what it’s supposed to deliver. 

This move could be a push by the Biden administration to reallocate the projected $6 billion replacement cost of the Postal Service’s fleet toward new vehicles that actually offer a significant fuel economy and air quality improvement. 

How bad is the mail truck fuel economy? 

According to the EPA, the Oshkosh mail trucks only offer a 0.4 mpg fuel economy over the agency’s current trucks. The old mail trucks have been around for 30 years and don’t even have air conditioning. Plus, 10 percent of the new mail fleet is supposed to be fully electric, as outlined in the contract. 

While the new gas-powered trucks would offer new amenities such as running air conditioning, they only average about 8.6 mpg. The industry standard for a gasoline-powered fleet vehicle is between 12 to 14 mpg. 

This first new mail truck in 30 years should provide an improvement. Also, the EPA noted that the acquisition process that awarded Oshkosh with the Postal Service deal is flawed. Do y’all think the EPA mailed them their letter? 

Anyways, part of the letter mentions that the Postal Service’s own analysis showed that 95 percent of mail carrier routes could be electrified, but only allocated 10 percent of electrified vehicles. 

This could make it seem like the Postal Service is against going green. Think about it. They deliver paper products almost every day! OK, we’re just joking here. We know the Postal Service cares about Earth. 

Why is the EPA upset with Oshkosh? 

The Oshkosh Mail Carrier trucks didn’t follow the appropriate process outlined by the Environmental Policy Act and was awarded before the review process outlined by NEPA. 

Apparently, the Postal Service executed the contract that includes a $482 million award before any analysis of the environmental impacts of the project as required by NEPA. 

The contract’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) withheld crucial information and underestimated greenhouse gas emissions from new ISC vehicles while overestimating emissions from BEVs, compared to the EPA analysis that was provided to the Postal Service. 

The current contract is a crucial lost opportunity to rapidly reduce the carbon footprint of one of the world’s largest government fleets! The Postal Service is gaining new vehicles either way, and we’ll keep you updated on the Oshkosh deal.