The Postal Service wants to replace its 163,000 mail delivery trucks at a cost of at least $4.5 billion, according to a request for information.
The agency looks to award a replacement contract for its aging fleet to just one supplier. That supplier would provide 180,000 vehicles for $25,000 to $35,000 per vehicle, according to the RFI.
The proposed vehicles would need to last at least 20 years, carry a minimum of 1,500 pounds and pass all safety and emissions requirements across the country. The Postal Service would award several companies a contract to test a prototype and then choose the best from among them, according to the RFI.
The current postal service fleet was purchased between 1987 and 2001. The Government Accountability Office has said in previous reports the average delivery vehicle age is more than 20 years.
See also: The Postal Service's 2015 to-do list
The Postal Service also wants lower maintenance requirements and better fuel economy than its current fleet, as well as design flexibility to allow for the incorporation of future technology, according to the RFI.
The agency plans on picking the suppliers for the prototype in July, 2015 and will then test the prototypes through September, 2016. The final supplier will be selected in January, 2017, according to the Postal Service. The Postal Service would start receiving and using the vehicles one year later.
Companies have until March 6 to respond to the RFI.
