The U. S. Postal Service has “modified” its timeline to pick a replacement for the iconic Grumman LLV delivery truck, an agency spokeswoman said.
The initial announcement for the contract to build the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) indicated that a winning bid would be chosen by 2018. However, prototype testing and evaluation stretched into 2019 and the Postal Service now says it will be requesting final proposals from the remaining candidates this year in anticipation of issuing a production contract — or contracts — in 2020.
The Grumman LLV, or “Long Life Vehicle,” was produced from 1987 to 1994 and had a projected 24-year lifespan. It lacks air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, traction control and other modern technologies. Along with ongoing challenges of maintaining a fleet of aging vehicles, there has been a spate of fires in recent years, the cause of which remains unclear.
