Oshkosh Defense announced it will open a dedicated facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where it will build the United States Postal Service (USPS) Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV). The company expects to hire more than 1,000 local team members at the Spartanburg facility, and on-site supply chain partners are expected to have additional hiring needs.

The USPS selected Oshkosh Defense for the multi-billion-dollar NGDV contract in February 2021 at the end of a competitive process that began in 2015. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract provides for the delivery of between 50,000 and 165,000 vehicles over a period of 10 years. These vehicles will replace the existing fleet of delivery vehicles, many of which have been in service for more than 30 years. Oshkosh’s winning solution will provide a modern fleet of both zero-emission battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel-efficient low-emission internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, with the option of producing any combination of models.

“Oshkosh Corporation’s advanced engineering capabilities have been driving the company for more than a century,” said John Pfeifer, president and CEO, Oshkosh Corporation. “That innovation has included a commitment to engineering and delivering a wide range of electric vehicles featuring new sustainable technologies. Now the company’s innovative NGDV will bring these sustainable technologies into more American neighborhoods.”

Oshkosh Defense plans to repurpose an expansive warehouse facility in Spartanburg with the features needed to accommodate a large-scale manufacturing operation that meets the technical requirements of producing vehicles for the USPS. Production of the NGDVs is expected to begin summer 2023.

Last week, Workhorse, a manufacturer of electric delivery vehicles, filed a formal complaint protesting the contract award.