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90-680: On January 20, 2015, the USPS released solicitation RFI-NGDV for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle. On February 13, 2015, it was announced that General Motors was actively pursuing this new contract, which would have them provide the USPS with 180,000 new vehicles at a cost of at least $ 5 billion. At the time, the first NGDVs were scheduled to begin delivering mail by 2018. Potential bidders had until March 5, 2015 to submit comments and pre-qualification responses. The USPS then selected 15 prequalified companies that would receive

180-646: A Bosch -sourced eAxle drive unit and a 94 kW-hr lithium-ion battery using nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry . The eAxle drive unit is a traction motor with an integrated reduction gearbox and inverter. The permanent magnet AC traction motor has a peak output of 150 kW (200 hp) and a continuous output of 70 kW (94 hp); power is supplied to the wheels through the gearbox with an 11.8:1 ratio. The inverter uses silicon IGBT circuitry. The ICE variant has an estimated fuel efficiency of 14.7 mpg ‑US (16.0 L/100 km), decreasing to 8.6 mpg ‑US (27 L/100 km) when

270-502: A 100% BEV NGDV fleet, $ 3.3 billion more than the split 10% BEV / 90% ICE NGDV fleet alternative. At approximately the same time, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14057 in December 2021, which mandated that all light-duty vehicles purchased for U.S. government fleets must be BEVs starting in fiscal year 2027, and by 2035, all new federal fleet vehicle procurements, including heavy-duty trucks, must be BEVs. One critic noted

360-470: A 2.5% grade and be capable of stopping, then ascending slopes of up to 20% grade in both forward and reverse. In the prototype RFP, these requirements were updated to include the delivery of six prototype examples in two sizes: a "standard" vehicle accommodating 155 cu ft (4.4 m) of cargo and a "small" vehicle with 121 cu ft (3.4 m), with both sizes not to exceed 112 in (2,800 mm) of height. The minimum sustained road speed

450-550: A battery electric model, with the eCitaro fuel cell bus having a range of 400 kilometres (250 mi) thanks to a 60kW Toyota fuel cell that recharges the battery. Ford has patents for a bed mounted gasoline-powered generator for their fully electric pickups. Rivian has patents for bed mounted additional batteries for increased range. Rivian electric trucks can charge each other for extended range. The 2010 Wolverine 3 program included an ICE range extender for its unmanned aerial vehicle . A range-extended electric vehicle uses

540-559: A boxy, bespoke body with a short hood, similar in appearance to the VT Hackney/Workhorse prototype, which was equipped a battery-electric powertrain with a gasoline-powered range extender . The AM General prototype used switchgear from Geely / Volvo and a start-stop system to reduce fuel consumption rates. According to Emerald Automotive officials, the AM General/Emerald and Oshkosh/Ford vehicles were leading

630-438: A completely new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) design, has been in production by Oshkosh Corporation since 2016. AM General was unsuccessful in its bid for this $ 30-billion 25-year contract, and it is now focused on military Humvee support (they still outnumber JLTVs by three to one) and development of a new ambulance model. AM General also acquired Department of Defense contracts for medium and heavy trucks, including

720-492: A computed consumption of 1.34 kW⋅h/mi (25.2 mpg‑e). Although using the air conditioner was not expected to affect the range, using the heater was expected to reduce range by up to half. Based on the typical distance driven, it was assumed that only 20% of the battery state of charge would be used each day for most NGDVs; analysis of USPS mail carrier routes demonstrated the all-electric variant's range could accommodate 95% of all routes. A prototype shown at CES 2022

810-746: A controlling interest was purchased by Renault . US government regulations at that time forbade ownership of defense contractors by foreign governments—and Renault was partially owned by the French government. In 1983, LTV Corporation bought AM General and established it as a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1984, its headquarters moved from the American Motors AMTEK Building in Detroit , Michigan , to Livonia, Michigan , and two years later to South Bend, Indiana, where primary manufacturing operations were located. In 1992, AM General

900-588: A five-year period. Production began at the Mishawaka, Indiana , assembly plant in the fall of 1984 and the first deliveries were made in early 1985. The total international production by mid-1991 was more than 72,000. Since 1991, an additional 20,000 HMMWVs ordered brought total international production to 100,000 in March 1995. Late in 2000, AM General was awarded another contract for 2,962 M998A2 series trucks. The contract contained six single-year options running to

990-485: A joint venture with AM General's then-owner, Renco Group, to give Perelman 70% ownership. The deal reportedly cost close to US$ 1 billion. In 2008, AM General and the Vehicle Production Group (VPG), of Troy, Michigan , announced that contracts had been signed for AM General to begin producing purpose-built taxi-cabs in 2009. Actual production would not begin until October 2011. The first vehicle off

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1080-551: A joint-venture bid involving Workhorse and VT Hackney. Half of the prototypes were to feature hybrid and new technologies, including alternative fuel capabilities. The prototypes represented a variety of vehicle sizes and drive configurations, in addition to advanced power trains and a range of hybrid technologies. The prototypes were delivered to the USPS in late September 2017. Examples from AM General, Karsan, Mahindra, Oshkosh, and VT Hackney/Workhorse were spotted while undergoing testing in 2017 and 2018. Vehicle testing took place at

1170-457: A landlord". Hintz concluded that "if two years pass and there's nothing in [Foxconn's] million-square-foot facility when we could have been producing postal trucks, you know, under this contract, we'll look back at it as a missed opportunity." A NGDV technical center will be established in the buildings owned by the company in its eponymous Oshkosh, Wisconsin location for engineering and technical support, employing approximately 100. Shortly after

1260-525: A new hybrid system, dubbed e-Power, which debuted with the Nissan Gripz concept crossover showcased at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show . The technology, without the plug-in ability, had been deployed to the Nissan Note e-Power and Nissan Kicks e-Power . The LEVC TX London taxi was launched in 2017 and features a 33 kWh battery that is charged by a 1.5-litre gasoline engine. The Li Auto One

1350-539: A partnership with MAN of Germany to build SG 220 articulated buses for US transit systems. MAN fabricated the bodyshells in Germany and shipped them to the US for AM General for final assembly. Two different lengths were offered, 55 ft (16.8 m) and 60 ft (18.3 m); 93 buses were built to the shorter length while the rest were 60 feet long. By October 1978, the company discontinued bus production with

1440-460: A purely electric car for the first 40–80 km (25–50 miles) in charge-depleting mode. When the battery capacity drops below a pre-established threshold from full charge, the vehicle enters charge-sustaining mode, and the Volt's control system will select the most optimally efficient drive mode to improve performance and boost high-speed efficiency. According to General Motors' real time tally of

1530-422: A range-extended electric vehicle is only propelled by the electric motor it can do away with the weight and cost associated with the gearbox transmission system typically used in internal combustion engine cars. Further, as the range extender does not need to increase or decrease output in line with the power needs of the vehicle (this task is handled by the electric motor) the range extender can be sized to satisfy

1620-576: A three-player competitive video game to deliver packages. As reported by Reuters in May 2023, initial deliveries were delayed from 2023 to June 2024. USPS has committed to acquire 66,000 electric vehicles through 2028, of which 45,000 are NGDVs and 9,250 are Ford E-Transit vans. The E-Transit vans are scheduled to arrive by the end of 2023. In August 2024, the first vehicles were delivered and began operating delivery routes in Augusta, Georgia . Described as

1710-487: Is a large SUV which combines a 41-kWh battery with a small 1.2-litre gasoline engine. This approach has also been used for heavy vehicles, such as Wrightbus's Gemini 2 and New Routemaster buses. Hydrogen fuel cells have also been used as a range extender for battery electric buses , allowing them to have greater range. For example, the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro has a range of 280 kilometres (170 mi) as

1800-487: Is added." The APU, which maintains battery charge at about 6% after the pack has been depleted in normal use, is strictly limited in the additional range it can provide. Other range-extended electric vehicles include the discontinued Cadillac ELR and the discontinued Fisker Karma . In June 2016, Nissan announced it will introduce a compact range extender car in Japan before March 2017. The series plug-in hybrid will use

1890-451: Is air-conditioned. The contract calls for a minimum order of 50,000 NGDVs, with options for up to 165,000, delivered over a 10-year period; the first NGDVs were scheduled to enter service in 2023. Initially, USPS announced that 5,000 vehicles in the first order will be battery-electric, the remainder using an internal combustion engine. The proportion of all-electric NGDVs being ordered has increased since then in response to sharp criticism of

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1980-654: Is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee that are assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana . From 1974–1979 the company also manufactured transit buses , making more than 5,400 of them. AM General has also been a provider of vehicles for the CUCV program carried out by the United States Armed Forces . AM General traces its roots to the Standard Wheel Company of Terre Haute, Indiana , which expanded in 1903 to include

2070-607: Is flexible and can be adjusted in the future. After the USPS was sued by multiple groups in April 2022 to block the procurement, the USPS announced plans in July to increase the proportion of electric NGDVs in the initial procurement to 50% and add 34,500 more commercially-available battery-electric vehicles. Later that December, the USPS announced the addition of $ 3 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act would allow

2160-495: Is operable only when the transmission is in park or neutral. The front and rear bumpers are equipped with proximity sensors that start beeping intermittently when objects are detected within 8 ft (2.4 m), and switch to continuous alarming when objects are within 6 in (150 mm). AM General AM General is an American heavy vehicle and contract automotive manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana . It

2250-588: Is refitting a large warehouse at the Flatwood Industrial Park that previously was used by Rite Aid as a distribution center; when complete, the building will be used for NGDV production. Oshkosh expects to spend $ 155 million to retool the facility. South Carolina provided a $ 9 million grant and a 40% discount on property taxes for 40 years. The announcement that production would take place in South Carolina using non-union labor

2340-466: Is running on battery power, as BMW designed the range extender as a backup to enable reaching a recharging location. According to BMW, at the beginning of the i3 release, the use of range-extender was much more than the carmaker expected, more than 60%. Over time it has decreased significantly, with some people almost never using it, and by 2016 it is being regularly used in fewer than 5% of i3s. The range-extender option costs an additional US$ 3,850 in

2430-551: Is the same 647 cc two-cylinder gasoline engine used in the BMW C650 GT scooter with a 9 L (2.0 imp gal; 2.4 US gal) fuel tank. The US model originally had its tank electronically limited to a smaller 7 L capacity. The range extender engages when the battery level drops to 6%. It generates electricity to extend the range from 130–160 km (80–100 miles) to 240–300 km (150–190 miles) Performance in range-extending mode may be more limited than when it

2520-746: The California Air Resources Board (CARB). Many range extender vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt and the BMW i3 , both of which have been discontinued, are able to charge their batteries from the grid as well as from the range extender, and therefore are a type of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), mild hybrids (MHEV), and most PHEV are primarily powered by combustion (with bigger engines and fuel tanks and smaller batteries and electric motors), while range-extended electric vehicles are

2610-441: The Chevrolet Volt are equipped with sufficiently large batteries to drive 80–160 km (50–100 miles), which is enough for many trips but not sufficient to drive long distances. As such, the driver may use battery power for commuting and daily driving, but still be able to drive from New York to Boston (about 320 km, 200 miles) by using the auxiliary gasoline internal combustion engine, without stopping frequently to charge

2700-478: The Chevrolet Volt as an electric vehicle equipped with a 16 kWh battery plus a "range extending" gasoline powered internal combustion engine (ICE) as a genset and therefore dubbed the Volt an "Extended Range Electric Vehicle" or E-REV. In a January 2011 interview, the Chevy Volt's Global Chief Engineer, Pamela Fletcher, referred to the Volt as "an electric car with extended range." The Volt operates as

2790-519: The M151 series , 2 1/2 ton M35 series , and 5 ton M809 series in the 1970s then the M939 series in the 1980s. In 2005, AM General was contracted to take over militarization, sales, and marketing of LSSV vehicles. Range extender A range extender is a fuel-based auxiliary power unit (APU) that extends the range of a battery electric vehicle by driving an electric generator that charges

Oshkosh NGDV - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-599: The M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee), a 1.25-ton truck intended to replace the M151 and other Light Utility Vehicles . The US Army awarded AM General a prototype contract in 1981 with development and operational testing conducted over a five-month period in 1982. In March 1983, AM General won an initial $ 1.2 billion contract to produce 55,000 Humvees to be delivered in five basic models and 15 different configurations over

2970-840: The Overland Automotive Division. In 1908, John North Willys purchased the Overland company, then based in Indianapolis, Indiana , and renamed it Willys-Overland Motors. In the 1940s, as Willys, it collaborated with Ford to develop a vehicle to US Army specifications. It then mass-produced that vehicle as "America's first four-wheel-drive, one-fourth-ton, tactical utility truck"—the Jeep of World War II fame. In 1953, Kaiser Motors purchased Willys-Overland, changing its name first to Kaiser-Willys Motor Company, and in 1963, to Kaiser-Jeep Corporation. In 1970, it

3060-594: The Transportation Research Center (East Liberty, Ohio), supplemented by component testing in Bohemia, New York and field testing in Flint and Utica, Michigan; Alexandria and Manassas, Virginia; and Tempe, Tucson, and Apache Junction, Arizona. However, many of the prototypes exhibited "critical safety failures during the prototype testing phase, including brake failures and leaking fuel tanks", and

3150-720: The Vehicle Production Group (VPG). Prior to this, AM General acted as the sole vehicle assembler for VPG. As a result of this transaction, AM General created a wholly owned company, Mobility Ventures LLC, to operate the Mobility Vehicle-1 (MV-1) business and receive all VPG assets. In 2015, production of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class began at the Mishawaka assembly plant. Without this deal, "the German automaker would likely have had to shut down production of

3240-682: The nascent Foxconn facility in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin for NGDV production, but the two companies were unable to reach an agreement. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent letters to Oshkosh officials in March 2022, seeking insight into the company's reasons to build the NGDV factory in Spartanburg rather than retooling existing factories in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The president of Oshkosh Defense, John Bryant, had stated previously

3330-453: The 'duck-billed option', Oshkosh's NGDV has been designed to maximize interior volume and outward visibility for drivers who will be required to move against traffic in pedestrian-heavy areas. It is also tall enough for a person to stand inside and work. Current-generation automotive safety features employed by the design include airbags , a 360-degree camera , automatic emergency braking , and collision avoidance systems . The sliding door cab

3420-574: The 10/90 split procurement. The proportion of BEV NGDVs in the initial order of 50,000 was increased to 20% in March 2022. Lawsuits were filed in April 2022 against the USPS by 16 states, six non-profit groups, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District , the District of Columbia , and the city of New York , demanding a more stringent environmental review or changing the proportion of BEV NGDVs to 100%. During

3510-674: The AM General line was the Jeep DJ -5 series—a purpose-built "Dispatch Jeep" 2-wheel drive (RWD) version of the Jeep CJ-5 —used in huge numbers as a right-hand drive mail delivery vehicle by the United States Postal Service . The AM General Metropolitan buses were manufactured for city transit use from 1974 until 1979, producing a total of 5,431 buses (including 219 electric trolley buses ). The Metropolitan

3600-409: The May 2022 National Post Forum, the USPS confirmed that it will increase the number of BEV NGDVs in the initial order. This means that at least 10,019 NGDV vehicles will be manufactured as BEVs. In July 2022, USPS revised the initial order to now have at least 50% of the NGDV vehicles to be manufactured as BEVs. The Inflation Reduction Act allocated an additional $ 3 billion for the electrification of

3690-663: The NGDV fleet. In December 2022, USPS announced that 75% of its initial order of 60,000 NGDVs would be BEVs. By 2026, all new NGDVs ordered will be delivered as BEVs. In March 2023, Florida-based EV charger manufacturer Blink Charging Co. announced it was awarded an IDIQ (indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity) contract for up to 41,500 chargers. Preproduction versions were shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for 2022 and again for 2023, where attendees could participate in "Operation On-The-Move",

Oshkosh NGDV - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-503: The NGDV is 5,560 lb (2,520 kg) for the version with a conventional ICE and 6,670 lb (3,030 kg) for the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) variant. The payload of the vehicles also varies slightly, either 2,941 lb (1,334 kg) for the ICE or 2,207 lb (1,001 kg) for the BEV. The NGDV is equipped with a second sliding curbside door that allows the mail carrier to enter

3870-523: The NGDV procurement plan, noting that ICE-powered versions have been designed to be converted to BEV powertrains if required. However, Senators Ed Markey and Martin Heinrich , joined by other members of Congress and environmental organizations, sent a letter in February 2022 criticizing USPS and Oshkosh following the implementation of the preferred alternative, singling out the vehicles' inefficiency and

3960-465: The NGDV was to have a minimum life of 12 years and a target life of 20 years; the cargo area was required to enclose a minimum volume of 4.38 m (155 cu ft) with a minimum payload capacity of 680 kg (1,500 lb). Vehicles were required to be able to maintain a speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) on level roads, accelerating to that speed within 35 seconds. In addition, vehicles were required to maintain 45 mph (72 km/h) on

4050-529: The RFP for prototype development, which was issued on April 14, 2015; General Motors was not on the prequalified list. The prototype RFP was issued on October 20, 2015, and updated on December 1, including a Statement of Objectives (SOO) providing preliminary NGDV specifications and target requirements and a Statement of Work providing a sample driving cycle. Under the draft design specification issued in January 2015,

4140-675: The Studebaker XUV at the Chicago Auto show in 2002. GM said Avanti infringed on the Hummer looks by planning a vehicle that closely resembled the Hummer. It seemed the AM General Hummer line had gone full circle back to the original Studebaker General Products Division which was responsible for all military contracts. On August 20, 2004, it was announced that Ronald Perelman 's MacAndrews & Forbes company would form

4230-723: The USPS returned all the prototypes to the Transportation Research Center for rework in November 2017; testing resumed in April 2018 and was completed in March 2019. The Oshkosh prototype was derived from the Ford Transit commercial van, while the Karsan prototype combined a purpose-built tall body by Morgan Olson , allowing mail carriers to stand upright in the cargo area, with a plug-in hybrid gasoline-electric drivetrain. The Mahindra prototype also used

4320-827: The United States, an additional €4,710 (~ US$ 6,300 ) in France, and €4,490 (~ US$ 6,000 ) in the Netherlands. The range-extender option of the BMW i3 was designed to meet the CARB regulation for an auxiliary power unit (APU) called REx. According to rules CARB adopted in March 2012, the 2014 BMW i3 with a REx unit fitted will be the first car to qualify as a range-extended battery-electric vehicle or "BEVx." CARB describes this type of electric vehicle as "a relatively high-electric range battery-electric vehicle (BEV) to which an APU

4410-606: The Zero Emission Vehicle Regulations adopted in March 2012 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a range-extended battery-electric vehicle, designated as BEVx, should comply, among others, with the following criteria: Range extenders are commonly used in marine ( autonomous underwater vehicle ), aircraft and Generator/Utility, automotive and hybrid electric vehicle applications. General Motors describes

4500-531: The air conditioning is on. For comparison, the earlier LLV (built 1987–94) and FFV (2000–01) have an average observed fuel consumption of 8.2 and 6.9 mpg ‑US (29 and 34 L/100 km), respectively. The minuscule improvement in fuel economy was criticized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in February 2022. The BEV variant has an estimated range of 70 mi (110 km) and

4590-543: The all-BEV NGDV scenario, providing even greater benefits for pursuing the all-electric procurement. In February 2022, the EPA criticized the preferred alternative, stating the EIS "fails to consider more environmentally protective feasible alternatives and inadequately considers impacts on communities with environmental justice concerns." In addition, although analyses demonstrated that 95% of its routes could be electrified, considering

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4680-420: The battery (which can take hours). The vehicle owner therefore accrues the benefits of using cheaper and less carbon-intensive electric power for most driving, while maintaining the ability to embark on longer trips with the same vehicle. When a range extender uses conventional fuels they can re-fuel at regular fuel stations , which provides them with a similar driving range to conventional automobiles. As

4770-490: The candidates, as the other vehicles required constant repair and towing from the test track. Numerous candidates resigned from the NGDV prototype competition before the USPS selected the winner, as competition results and selection of a winning prototype had been expected in late 2016, but these were not announced until 2021, in part due to delays in assembling the prototypes; because the candidate suppliers only had 18 weeks to assemble and perform internal testing before shipping

4860-411: The cargo area directly, allowing them to avoid having to stand in the street while loading and unloading the vehicle. As another measure for safety, the NGDV has an automatic parking brake that engages when the vehicle is shifted to park, when the driver leaves the seat, or when the ignition is shut off; it disengages when the vehicle is started and then shifted to drive or reverse, and the vehicle ignition

4950-568: The contract was awarded to Oshkosh in February 2021, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy appeared before the United States House of Representatives , where he testified only 10% of the planned NGDVs would be battery electric vehicles (BEVs). In response to an enquiry from Representative Jackie Speier asking why the new fleet was not 90% BEV instead of 10% BEV, DeJoy stated that 90% BEV target would require "3 or 4 extra billion [dollars]" to implement. In fact, an order of 75,000 BEV trucks

5040-478: The delivery of between 50,000 and 165,000 vehicles over a period of 10 years. Under the initial contract USPS has committed to pay Oshkosh Defense $ 482 million to initiate engineering efforts to finalize the production vehicle design, and for tooling and factory build-out activities that are necessary prior to vehicle production. The Workhorse Group, an electric truck builder based in Loveland, Ohio and one of

5130-561: The design changes for its own line as the models D800 and E800 . Buses were built in lengths of either 35 ft (10.7 m) or 40 ft (12.2 m), and widths of 96 in (2,438 mm) or 102 in (2,591 mm). The model numbers reflected the chosen dimensions; for example, model "10240" indicated a 102-inch wide, 40-foot long bus. Suffixes "A" or "B" were used for later models to indicate certain options. In total, 3,571 40-foot diesel buses and 1,641 35-foot diesel buses were produced. In 1977–1979, AM General also worked under

5220-903: The distance driven by Volt owners in North America, by mid-June 2014 they had accumulated more than 800 million all-electric km (500 million miles). GM also reported that Volt owners driving is more than 63% in all-electric mode. Volt owners who charge regularly typically drive more than 1,560 km (970 miles) between fill-ups and visit the gasoline station less than once a month. A similar report, issued by GM in August 2016, reported that Volt owners have accumulated almost 2.4 billion km (1.5 billion miles) driven in EV mode, representing 60% of their total distance traveled. The BMW i3 all-electric car with at least 22 kWh battery capacity offers an optional gasoline-powered range extender APU . The range extender

5310-407: The drivetrain subsystem supplier, including engines, traction motors, and transmissions. Ford Component Sales also will provide Oshkosh with key parts for suspensions and other components, including cabin interiors. The earlier Oshkosh prototype evaluated during testing was based on the Ford Transit van. The ICE will be a Ford EcoBoost 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine . At CES 2022,

5400-399: The driving range of a single-fuel vehicle powered by a fuel such as gasoline. The range-extending fuel is generally considered to be less environmentally and economically friendly to use than the primary fuel source, so the vehicle control system gives preference to using the primary fuel if it's available. However, due to range limitations with the primary fuel source, the range extender allows

5490-653: The fiscal year 2007 and continues to be renewed. Nearly 250,000 units have been produced. Humvees feature full-time four-wheel drive, an independent suspension, steep approach and departure angles , 60-percent grade ability and 16 inches (406 mm) of ground clearance. More recent production models include the M1151, M1152, M1165, and M1167. As of 2015, Humvees are in use by the US Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy. The combined fleet numbers 140,000. More than 50 nations have bought these vehicles. The Humvee's replacement,

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5580-527: The incremental amount to implement an all-BEV NGDV fleet, while onerous, was relatively small in relation to other government projects and would reduce carbon emissions by 537,000 t (592,000 short tons) in tailpipe emissions. Researchers at the University of Michigan 's School for Environment and Sustainability found the EIS underestimated lifetime emissions associated with the split 10/90 NGDV scenario, and overestimated lifetime emissions associated with

5670-469: The last unit completed in March 1979. The total number built was just under 400 (392 or 399 ), the largest group by far being 150 for Seattle's Metro Transit . MAN subsequently set up its own factory for US production in Cleveland, North Carolina . Production of complete motor buses (and of any two-axle motor buses) had ended in 1978 and aside from the fitting-out of the last articulated MAN shells,

5760-587: The line was presented to Marc Buoniconti, a former linebacker for The Citadel who was partially paralyzed in 1985. In May 2010, Azure Dynamics announced it had chosen AM General to assemble its electric drivetrain for Ford Transit Connect vehicles for the North American market at its Livonia, Michigan, factory. In September 2013, AM General reached an agreement to purchase the United States Department of Energy 's secured loan to

5850-532: The losing bidders, initially protested the award to Oshkosh by filing a lawsuit, but dropped the case in September 2021, one day before the case would be heard in court. USPS placed its first order in March 2022, at a contract value of $ 2.98 billion, for 50,000 NGDVs, of which at least 10,019 will be the battery-electric variant; the average per-unit cost of an NGDV is $ 59600. The first deliveries of NGDVs were expected in 2023. The exact number of electric NGDVs

5940-573: The market in 2002, and was produced until January 2009. It was designed and marketed by GM, but manufactured by AM General at the Mishawaka plant. AM General did not build the H3 model. GM was sued early in 2003 by DaimlerChrysler , owners of the Jeep brand, for the resemblance of the Hummer's seven-slot grille to Jeep's. The lawsuit was dismissed after acknowledgment of the shared corporate history of AMC and Jeep. GM in turn sued boutique automaker Avanti Motor Corporation of Cancun, Mexico after it introduced

6030-541: The minimum size for the NGDV factory was 825,000 sq ft (7.66 ha), and it did not own any buildings in Wisconsin that were large enough to accommodate NGDV production. State Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) noted that Foxconn's Mount Pleasant facility was sufficiently large, and speculated that negotiations between Oshkosh and Foxconn may have broken down over who would assume responsibility for manufacturing: "I don't think Foxconn originally wanted to be

6120-476: The nominal 70 mi (110 km) range of the BEV NGDVs, just 10% of NGDVs would be procured as BEVs. Despite the criticism, USPS and Oshkosh announced that it would proceed with the preferred alternative: only 10% (5,000) of the initial order of Oshkosh NGDVs will be manufactured as BEVs, while the remaining 90% of the NGDV fleet will be manufactured as low-emission ICE vehicles. The USPS and Oshkosh defended

6210-652: The only production in 1979 was two batches of trolleybuses (and the only such vehicles ever built by the company). These were all 40-foot (12.2 m) vehicles, model 10240T: 110 trackless trolleys for the Philadelphia trolleybus system , operated by SEPTA ; and 109 for the Seattle trolleybus system , operated by Metro Transit (now King County Metro). One of the latter has been preserved since its retirement in 2003 by King County Metro (see King County Metro fleet ). In 1979, AM General began preliminary design work on

6300-453: The opposite. The key function of the range extender is to increase the vehicle's range. Range autonomy is one of the main barriers for the commercial success of electric vehicles, and extending the vehicle's range when the battery is depleted helps alleviate range anxiety . A range extender can also reduce the consumption of the range-extending fuel (such as gasoline) by using the primary fuel (such as battery power), while still maintaining

6390-588: The original plan. There are four planned variants: either an internal combustion engine or battery-electric powertrain, both of which will have options for either two- or four-wheel drive. The 2WD ICE model will have 4,112 purchased parts; the 4WD ICE model has 3,995 parts in common with the 2WD ICE model, while BEV variants have 3,297 and 3,196 parts in common with the 2WD ICE for the 2WD and 4WD BEV models, respectively. Either powertrain option can be built for future orders, and models with an ICE can be converted to battery-electric if required. Ford has been announced as

6480-502: The procurement of 45,000 battery-electric NGDVs out of at least 60,000 NGDVs in total, to be delivered by 2028. Mail delivery using the first NGDVs was still expected to start in late 2023. In June 2021, Oshkosh stated that after a long search, the company will assemble the new mail truck at a new, dedicated factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina , and will employ more than 1,000 local non-union workers. In Spartanburg, Oshkosh Defense

6570-475: The prototypes to USPS, many vehicles were faulty and the USPS returned the entire initial batch. In addition, testing was extended by three to eight months because USPS added durability and simulated field tests during the competition; testing was not completed until March 2019. With testing complete, USPS met with the manufacturers and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to finalize

6660-461: The specifications, which were issued in June 2019. Utilimaster withdrew from the competition in February 2017, and London Electric Vehicle Company , which was supplying powertrain technology to AM General, announced in December 2018 they would not participate past the prototype stage. Workhorse bought out VT Hackney in December 2019 after the latter company withdrew from the competition. Final bids from

6750-708: The use of incorrect data in their environmental impact statement. Other groups joining the criticism included the EPA, the Biden Administration, Zero Emission Transportation Association, climate activists, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party, collectively criticizing Oshkosh and the United States Postal Service for ignoring Executive Order 14057 and proceeding with

6840-442: The vehicle to get many of the cost and environmental benefits of the primary fuel, while maintaining the full driving range of the range extending fuel source. That said, the benefits (cost, carbon emissions) derived from using a vehicle with a range extender ultimately depend on how the vehicle is driven, and in particular how often the range extender is used. As an example, cars such as the BMW i3 with optional range extender and

6930-517: The vehicle's average power requirement rather than its peak power requirement (such as when accelerating). The range extender can also operate much closer to its most efficient rotational speed . These design features allow range-extended electric vehicles to convert fossil fuel energy to electric power and vehicle motion relatively efficiently. The combustion engine may also have a longer lifespan, as it does not need to run at high rpm (which causes increased wear and tear). According to 2012 Amendments to

7020-406: The vehicle's battery. This arrangement is known as a series hybrid drivetrain. The most commonly used range extenders are internal combustion engines , but fuel-cells or other engine types can be used. Range extender vehicles are also referred to as extended-range electric vehicles ( EREV ), range-extended electric vehicles ( REEV ), and range-extended battery-electric vehicle ( BEVx ) by

7110-551: The vehicle, currently only sold in China." Production ended in October 2017. In July 2020, it was revealed that investment company KPS Capital Partners had reached an agreement to acquire AM General from its previous owner, MacAndrews & Forbes . AM General submitted a prototype to become the United States Postal Service 's Next Generation Delivery Vehicle , but their entry was not chosen. Another familiar product from

7200-653: The vendors to the revised specification were delivered in July 2020, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Mahindra pulled out in August 2020, citing financial issues. By December 2020, just Karsan, Oshkosh, and Workhorse were left. Final technical and financial reviews were completed in January 2021. In February 2021, the contract was awarded to Oshkosh Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation in Oshkosh, Wisconsin . The competitively awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract allows for

7290-525: The video display accompanying the NGDV display showed specifications for the EcoBoost and 8-speed automatic transmission that will be used in the ICE-drivetrain variant. The EcoBoost has a peak output of 250 hp (190 kW) at 5,500 RPM and 275 lb⋅ft (373 N⋅m) at 3,000 RPM, but this was de-rated to 206 lb⋅ft (279 N⋅m) for reliability. The electric variant has

7380-703: The work at the South Bend plant it had recently acquired from Studebaker. American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased the Jeep Corporation from Kaiser in 1970 when Kaiser decided to leave the auto business. In 1971, AMC made the General Products Division of Jeep (producing military trucks as well as contract and non-commercial vehicles) a wholly owned subsidiary and renamed it "AM General Corporation". American Motors ceased to function as an independent automaker in 1982 when

7470-438: Was 60 mph (97 km/h) with a grade of up to 1% at an altitude of 3,000 ft (910 m) or less, with a minimum operating range of 70 mi (110 km) including 600 stops and starts while using the heating and air conditioning systems and accessories at their maximum settings, to maintain cabin temperatures of 65–85 °F (18–29 °C) when ambient temperatures are −30–120 °F (−34–49 °C). The cargo area

7560-528: Was 9.5 ft (2.9 m) tall, 19.6 ft (6.0 m) long, and 7 ft (2.1 m) wide. The rear cargo opening measures 49.5 in (1,260 mm) wide and 72.5 in (1,840 mm) tall. The gross vehicle weight rating of the NGDV with an ICE, including payload, is 8,501 lb (3,856 kg), just one pound over the EPA's threshold to be considered a heavy-duty truck, allowing it to avoid more stringent pollution emissions and efficiency standards for light-duty trucks. The estimated curb weight of

7650-562: Was built under a 1971 agreement with Flyer Industries of Winnipeg , Manitoba; AM General licensed the rights to build and market the Western Flyer D700 for the US market. The D700 itself was similar in design to the contemporaneous GM New Look buses . The front end of the D700 was restyled and thus the resulting Metropolitan was not simply a Flyer design built under license but rather a jointly designed vehicle. Flyer later adopted

7740-536: Was criticized as a bait-and-switch scheme by multiple politicians who had expected the vehicles to be built by unionized workers in Oshkosh's home state of Wisconsin. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) declined to challenge the company to relocate production to his home state: "It's not like we don't have enough jobs here in Wisconsin. The biggest problem we have in Wisconsin right now is employers not being able to find enough workers." According to Johnson, Oshkosh had approached Foxconn to inquire if Oshkosh could lease space at

7830-450: Was estimated to cost an extra $ 2.3 billion compared to a 10% BEV fleet. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for NGDV procurement, published in January 2022, concluded the preferred alternative was "to purchase and deploy up to 90 percent ICE [ internal combustion engine ] NGDV with at least 10 percent BEV NGDV." The EIS evaluated four alternative scenarios: According to the EIS, it would cost $ 11.6 billion to implement

7920-507: Was purchased by American Motors Corporation (AMC). In July 2020, KPS Capital Partners acquired the company. In 1964, Kaiser-Jeep purchased the Studebaker facilities on Chippewa Avenue in South Bend, Indiana , which included Studebaker's "General Products Division", along with its substantial defense contracts. At the time, Kaiser had been awarded a US$ 87 million Army truck contract, and under government pressure, agreed to perform

8010-582: Was required to accommodate heights ranging up to the 95th percentile male without stooping while setting the maximum exterior height at 122 in (3,100 mm). The maximum target unit price was US$ 35,000. On September 22, 2016, the United States Postal Service awarded the NGDV Prototype Contract to six selected suppliers: AM General (in partnership with Emerald Automotive ), Karsan (in partnership with Morgan Olson ), Mahindra , Oshkosh (in partnership with Ford ), Utilimaster , and

8100-595: Was sold to Renco Group , which in 2002 converted it to a limited liability company . In 1984 AM General built a separate factory at 13200 McKinley Hwy in Mishawaka for HMMWV production. In 1992 AM General began marketing the HMMWV to the civilian market under the Hummer brand. In 1999, GM acquired the rights to the brand and continued production of the original civilian Hummer as the H1 until June 2006. The Hummer H2 went on

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