Oshkosh launches EV and other specialty vehicle technologies with safety, quietness and cleanliness in mind

At CES 2025 for the first time Oshkosh has launched a range of special vehicles with electricity, safety, quietness and cleanliness in mind.

This is an example of trend of non-tech companies showing up with technology that makes products better but doesn’t take center stage. In this case, the 107-year-old company provides us with electric trucks for postal services, collision avoidance for first aid and robots for garbage collection.

Oshkosh has announced its Collision Avoidance System, designed specifically to ensure the safety of first responders and service workers while operating in high-risk roadside environments. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based company also launched AI and electrified solutions that improve waste collection and recycling in communities, and an innovative, autonomous robot designed for on-demand waste collection that reduces weekly chores.

“Technology is only as valuable as the positive impact it has on our lives and our communities,” John Pfeiffer, Oshkosh’s CEO, said in a statement. “Oshkosh works closely with our customers to find solutions to the toughest challenges for some of the world’s toughest jobs—from protecting firefighters to reducing pollution to handling weekly tasks. Our latest solutions use AI, autonomous, connected and electrifying technology to transform our neighborhoods and make technology work for all of us to make our world safer, cleaner, quieter and more sustainable .”

Pfeiffer said at a press briefing that the company is taking technology born on racetracks with its PrattMiller division and then taking it to areas like reducing risks for those who work on the road with a fire truck or two.

Pfeiffer said the company is working on technologies for the airport of the future, the workplace of the future and the neighborhood of the future.

Smarter airports, mail trucks and garbage trucks

At airports, anyone can see airport inefficiencies such as sitting around airports due to long queues or delays. AI-controlled docks, cargo handling tools and aircraft parking can minimize human error or delays in getting aircraft and baggage to where they need to be.

iOPS technology can digitally connect the entire aircraft portal operation and can synchronize everything, reducing aircraft turnaround time by two minutes for each flight, based on a test with one airline with 200 aircraft. The cumulative time, efficiency and cost savings become significant, Pfeiffer said.

To make workplaces safer, Oshkosh is making autonomous vehicles and similar centers that can drive vehicles so they’re ready when needed. Oshkosh manufactures purpose-built route-based vehicles such as postal service trucks.

Electric cars have problems with unpredictable driving distances and scarce EV chargers. But the fleets that the Postal Service uses have predictable routes and can be tailored to maximize the use of EV infrastructure. Oshkosh delivers 165,000 vehicles to the USPS, and 70 percent of them are zero-emission EV trucks, Pfeiffer said.

Reducing roadside risks for first responders

Oshkosh noted that first responders and service workers, such as tow truck drivers, take incredible risks every time they respond to a call that involves an active road. More than 250 first responders died from being hit by a vehicle (mostly driven by distracted drivers) while on the job in the past four years.

To improve the safety of first responders and service workers, Oshkosh developed the Collision Avoidance System (CAMS) – the first system designed specifically for roadside emergency scenarios. CAMS accurately detects the trajectory, speed and proximity of oncoming vehicles to a parked responding vehicle by using advanced AI camera technology, advanced autonomous driving sensors and radar, Iyenger said. This technology comes from racing business PrattMiller.

CAMS provides two to three seconds of advance notice of an impending collision, greatly improving the safety of everyday heroes during roadside operations, Iyenger said. The camera system also records a continuous video feed that supports accident reconstruction and insurance documentation, adding another layer of operational safety.

Whether you’re responding to incidents, performing roadside assistance or managing snow removal, CAMS is an essential tool that improves situational awareness.

Improving neighborhoods with better waste collection and recycling

Oshkosh also introduced three market-leading technologies that complement its McNeilus Volterra ZSL – the first-of-its-kind integrated electric garbage truck for waste and recycling collection in North America. Most garbage trucks are outdated in terms of modern principles of safety, comfort and noise pollution, Jay Iyenger, Oshkosh’s chief technical officer, said at a briefing. But the new truck can do things like detect a bin and reach right in with a robotic arm to pick it up on the first try. Usually the driver has to stop and use a joystick to pick up a bin by trial and error.

Iyenger said Oshkosh is working on ways to bring electrification, autonomy and artificial intelligence technologies to make waste collection and recycling more efficient. There are issues like cross-contamination of recyclables and waste. It is also designed for operator comfort and safety. It also has a new McNeilus Volterra ZFL front-loading truck to complement its side-loading truck.

New technologies include:

• AI-enabled container detection: This will enable safer and smarter waste collection. Using AI and machine learning to enable semi-autonomous container handling, collection vehicles will detect waste containers autonomously. With the push of a button, the electric arm will deploy to collect the container with high precision. The streamlined process reduces human error, speeds up cycle times and is expected to reduce training time, Iyenger said. It also increases safety as the arm will not deploy if anything other than a container is detected.
• Electrified hand: Oshkosh is replacing the traditional hydraulic arm of its waste and recycling collection vehicles with a new electric version. The electrified arm works faster than hydraulic arms, saving up to 50 to 60 minutes a day and allowing collection companies to serve more households, Iyenger said. The electrified arm also operates more quietly and helps control maintenance costs compared to its hydraulic counterpart, Iyenger said.
• AI-powered contamination detection for recyclable products: Customers say contamination in the recycling stream causes extra work and costs. According to the EPA, up to 25% of materials placed in recycling bins do not belong there. Oshkosh developed an advanced vision system using AI to overcome this challenge and identify contaminated materials. This includes edge treatment that helps divert the maximum amount of clean recyclables from landfills for a more sustainable future. It can also reduce heat events and increase safety when flammable garden waste or batteries end up in waste containers.

Removal of weekly obligations for users

Oshkosh is also pioneering a new way to tackle the necessary weekly chore of trash and recycling. At CES, it demonstrated the Autonomous Garbage Collection Robot – Electric (HARR-E). HARR-E is an innovative, autonomous robot designed to collect garbage on demand. It provides a smarter, cleaner and safer solution than traditional door-to-door waste collection methods.

HARR-E allows residents to request a garbage collection service using a smartphone app or virtual assistant smart speaker. The robot will then make its way from a central waste collection area in the neighborhood. It will navigate to the occupant’s home autonomously using a known map of the area and perceptual sensors, Iyenger said.

Upon reaching the resident’s home, the HARR-E automatically opens its lid and residents can place their trash inside. An internal scale weighs the deposited trash, which monitors the payload. This allows apartment complexes to charge a collection fee by weight.

After picking up the waste, the HARR-E closes its hood and returns to the central neighborhood collection area to drop off its load and reload for the next pickup, Iyenger said. HARR-E is designed to benefit all residents while helping with accessibility for people with disabilities and seniors who find typical trash collection challenging.

In addition, the HARR-E is expected to reduce waste management costs by 25% by eliminating labor costs and minimizing vehicle maintenance. It can improve the cleanliness of homes and neighborhoods by reducing the need to store waste in bins waiting to be picked up.

Attendees can check Oshkosh’s latest innovations and more at stand #5616 in the Western Hall
at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).

Separately, Oshkosh leaders will participate in CES Tech Talks sessions at CES 2025, with insights into how they are deploying electrification, AI, autonomy and connectivity technologies to transform their businesses, redefine the customer experience, increase productivity, increase safety and sustainability and improve employee engagement.

Oshkosh has more than 18,000 employees and was founded in 1917. It has $9.7 billion in annual revenue.