SPARTANBURG, SC (WTAQ-WLUK) — The United States Postal Service has officially placed an order for 50,000 next generation mail trucks with Oshkosh defense, the first order of its kind.
Oshkosh Defense will manufacture both zero emission battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel-efficient low-emission internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) for USPS in their Spartanburg, South Carolina factory.
The initial order is valued at $2.98 billion. The first order also includes a minimum of 10,019 BEVs.
The decision to build the vehicles in South Carolina rather than Wisconsin has been met with criticism from union workers.
Oshkosh Defense said after it evaluated sites in multiple states, including Wisconsin, the South Carolina location met the requirements for the NGDV program. They also add no jobs will be lost in Oshkosh as a result of this decision.
