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Oshkosh Company has been constructing the automobiles that maintain America working for over 100 years. They first popped onto our cleantech radar as a part of the bidding course of for the choice of the Subsequent Technology Supply Automobile (NGDV) for america Postal Service (USPS). Oshkosh Corp famously received the aggressive bidding course of with their e-commerce pleasant design and its controversial duck-billed hood.

Just like the NGDV, lots of the automobiles Oshkosh Corp make can be found in absolutely electrical configurations. Oshkosh Corp invited CleanTechnica as much as their headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to check out — and drive — a few of the electrical automobiles they construct proper right here in america.
Disclaimer: Oshkosh Company paid for the creator’s journey and lodging to attend this one-day, invite-only media occasion.
Oshkosh Company
The Oshkosh Company has been constructing a variety of automobiles for corporations throughout the nation and around the globe since 1917. These embrace automobiles like fireplace vans, plane rescue automobiles, JLG lifts, entrance discharge cement vans, the next-generation supply car for the USPS, refuse vans, and the world well-known heavy expanded mobility tactical truck, aka the HEMTT.

On the floor, you would possibly anticipate a 100-year-old car firm constructing a few of the most diesel-oriented automobiles on the planet to be caught of their methods. Strolling as much as their stunning new company headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, it was clear that you simply undoubtedly shouldn’t decide a e book by its cowl.
Outdoors the headquarters, a army transport car, a JLG Extension Increase carry, and a McNielus refuse truck confirmed off their versatility. Strolling inside, we have been greeted by a pair of autonomous automobiles kitted out with sensors.
Trash Cans from the Future
Considered one of them autonomous automobiles was named HARR-E. It was designed to just accept trash in compact areas resembling flats, universities, and huge company campuses. It’s kitted out with LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras that permit it see the world so it could navigate by the world autonomously, accepting trash alongside the way in which.

It’s the LIDAR-equipped absolutely autonomous trash are you able to by no means knew you wanted. That’s proper. I mentioned LIDAR. On a trash can. It’s not only a publicity stunt, both. Oshkosh’s representatives advised us that whereas it’s seemingly a distinct segment answer, the upkeep groups working festivals, college campuses, condo complexes, and the like have been desperate to get one after first seeing HARR-E at CES in January 2025.
Absolutely Electrical, Autonomous Airport Operations
Oshkosh Corp has constructed the automobiles that maintain airports around the globe working for years. Underneath the Aerotech model, they provide absolutely electrical airport tow tractors in a couple of totally different configurations. Additionally they construct combustion variations if that’s extra your pace.
Past the tow tractors, Oshkosh Corp makes plenty of the Floor Help Tools (GSE) that retains airport gates in operation, every part from the jetway itself to cargo dealing with gear, airport operations gear, and extra. Passengers not often give it some thought however there’s a literal military of individuals and gear working round on the tarmac simply to maintain our flights working on time.
Whereas they already supply electrical tow tractors, a lot of the automobiles working round airports are excellent candidates for electrification. With their mastery of the advanced orchestra at airport gates, Oshkosh Corp is constructing out a complete answer for airport gate operations that they imagine could make airport gates safer, extra environment friendly, and extra dependable.
Sitting proper on the heart of the chaos is the conductor referred to as iOps. Oshkosh Corp’s iOps is the mind for gate operations that talks to the airline, employees, and gear to maximise effectivity. They’re targeted on streamlining particular person items of the method at a time — with what they prefer to name “moments of autonomy.” Streamlining harmful, repetitive, or excessive worth duties takes hundreds off of operators, making their job safer and extra environment friendly, and derisking the method on the identical time.
When a aircraft is introduced right into a gate and serviced, every part must occur in a selected order, and Oshkosh Corp is constructing the {hardware} and software program options to make that occur. With their lengthy historical past of constructing the bottom help gear that makes our airports as environment friendly as they’re immediately, Oshkosh Corp is nicely positioned to construct out the long run, carrying it ahead into the digital age.
The Subsequent Technology Supply Automobile
The following technology supply car (NGDV) was the star of the present at Oshkosh and gained notoriety each for its goofy seems to be and it’s spectacular performance. It earned a leg up on the competitors because of its potential to be kitted out with a zero-emission battery electrical powertrain or a gasoline engine relying on buyer desire. In particular person, the car is far bigger than it seems to be in images, particularly on the within.

At 6’2″ tall, I’m capable of stand at full peak within the rear parcel storage space with room to spare. The rear of the car comes kitted out with racks on both facet to retailer the more and more in style eCommerce parcels. These small containers and packages proceed to develop as a proportion of the general packages delivered to US properties, making them a worthwhile potential income stream for the US Postal Service.

They allow us to drive one of many check mules they’ve been working round for a couple of years now, and whereas acceleration was restricted by software program, it nonetheless had loads of pep to it. We ripped throughout the parking zone and have been capable of flip round within the equal of a lifeless finish road in a single flip.
It’s a powerful car that’s shaping as much as be proper round half of Oshkosh Company’s gross sales over the following few years.
Total
Oshkosh Company is excess of only a firm constructing the identical outdated automobiles that your dad, your grandad, and perhaps even his dad may need been driving round on the job. They do certainly carry their lengthy legacy of constructing automobiles that make a distinction in folks’s lives, however they’re doing so with an eye fixed to the long run.
They’re constructing the automobiles that maintain America and lots of different international locations around the globe working, enhancing security, effectivity, and reliability with every successive providing. It’s that drive for steady enchancment and mastery of auto engineering that has led them to more and more combine absolutely electrical automobiles into their product choices.

A whole lot of the automobiles that maintain trendy civilization working — like fireplace vans, supply automobiles, scissor lifts, cement vans, and army automobiles of all sizes and shapes — don’t drive very many miles every day. However the miles they do drive are vital to retaining folks alive, retaining infrastructure working, and retaining initiatives transferring.
Oshkosh Company is at all times seeking to drive operational efficiencies within the diverse industries they serve, and it was a privilege to see firsthand how they’re more and more integrating absolutely electrical automobiles and autonomous know-how into them.
As William Gibson famously mentioned, “the long run is already right here — it’s simply not very evenly distributed,” and that’s because of corporations like Oshkosh Corp. They make use of 18,500 folks around the globe, and if my time behind the wheel of their automobiles — together with the Subsequent Technology Supply Automobile, their absolutely electrical Pierce Volterra fireplace truck, and a Mcneilus electrical refuse truck — is any indication, the long run is certainly electrical.
For extra details about Oshkosh Company, head over to their web site.
Just a few of the absolutely electrical automobiles they provide:
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