USPS Selects Mahindra for Next-Gen Delivery Vehicles

The Mahindra DI 3200 CRX Delivery Truck offers a glimpse of what their NGDV prototype may look like. (Image courtesy of Mahindra.)

Last year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to deliver a prototype of next-generation delivery vehicles (NGDVs) for the USPS fleet. Last month, USPS selected six suppliers to develop their proposed prototypes for testing and evaluation. Among those six is Mumbai-based Mahindra, a major utility vehicle manufacturer in India.

Mahindra’s North American Technical Center

Mahindra made inroads into the North American automotive market in 2013 with the opening of the Mahindra North American Technical Center (MNATC) in Troy, Michigan. Located just outside Detroit, MNATC employs designers and engineers for automotive design, engineering and vehicle development.

There’s no word yet on the specifics of Mahindra’s proposal, but the USPS is looking for NGDVs that are inline with its commitments for reducing the environmental impact of its delivery fleet and maintaining employee safety. Of the six prototypes accepted, the USPS offered only the following details on its website:

“Half of the prototypes will feature hybrid and new technologies, including alternative fuel capabilities. The prototypes will represent a variety of vehicle sizes and drive configurations, in addition to advanced powertrains and a range of hybrid technologies.”

As Mahindra has developed electric vehicles before, it seems likely that the company’s proposal is either electric or hybrid. Mahindra also has experience developing right-hand drive vehicles, used by Indian drivers as well as the USPS. The long list of commercial vehicles to the company name is also a plus.

Next-Generation Mail Delivery

Far from becoming obsolete, the USPS is as relevant as ever in the age of online shopping. That being so, it will need the benefits of modern automotive technology to enhance the USPS fleet of “planes, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, float planes, hovercraft, mules, bicycles and feet.”

“The USPS is looking for a modern, safe and efficient vehicle to meet their daily delivery and operational needs," said president of MNATC Rick Haas. "Our team has significant global experience engineering some of the best trucks ever produced. We've spent thousands of hours ensuring this proposal will optimize driver and pedestrian safety and provide the USPS with a modern and reliable vehicle architecture that can easily adapt to a broad variety of future scenarios."

The five other vehicle manufacturers delivering prototypes are AM General, Karsan, Oshkosh, Utilimaster, and VT Hackney. The companies will have one year to develop the prototypes, and the USPS will test the vehicles over six months across a range of postal delivery environments.

For more about the next generation of vehicles, read Vision Processing for Next-Gen Autonomous Vehicles.