Oshkosh launches electric vehicles and other specialty vehicle technologies with a focus on safety, quiet and cleanliness

At CES 2025 for the first time ever, Oshkosh brought a series of special vehicles onto the market with an emphasis on electric drive, safety, quietness and cleanliness.

It’s an example of that Trend towards non-tech companies Showing up with technology that makes products better, but isn’t the focus. In this case, the 107-year-old company brings us electric mail vehicles, collision avoidance systems for first responders, and garbage collection robots.

Oshkosh announced its collision avoidance system, designed specifically to protect first responders and service personnel during operations in high-risk road environments. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based company also launched AI and electrified solutions that improve waste and recycling collection in communities, as well as an innovative, autonomous robot designed for on-demand trash collection, reducing weekly tasks.

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

Pfeifer said in a news conference that the company, with its PrattMiller division, uses technologies developed at race tracks and then applies them to areas such as reducing risks for those who work with fire engines or two trucks on the road.

Pfeifer said the company is working on technology for the airport of the future, the construction site of the future and the neighborhood of the future.

Smarter airports, mail and garbage trucks

Anyone can spot inefficiencies at airports, e.g. E.g. hanging around at the airport due to long lines or delays. AI-driven docks, cargo handling and aircraft parking tools can minimize human error or delays in transporting aircraft and luggage to their destination.

iOPS technology can digitally connect an aircraft’s entire gate operations and synchronize everything, reducing aircraft turnaround time by two minutes for each flight, based on a test with an airline of 200 aircraft. The cumulative savings in time, efficiency and cost will be significant, Pfeifer said.

To make construction sites safer, Oshkosh produces autonomous vehicles and similar hubs that can manage vehicles so they are ready for use when needed. Oshkosh makes purpose-built, route-based vehicles, such as trucks for the Postal Service.

Electric cars have problems with unpredictable driving routes and scarce electric vehicle chargers. But the fleets the Postal Service uses have predictable routes and can be customized to maximize the use of electric vehicle infrastructure. Oshkosh supplies 165,000 vehicles to the USPS, and 70% of them are zero-emission electric trucks, Pfeifer said.

Reducing roadside risks for first responders

Oshkosh found that first responders and service personnel, such as tow truck drivers, take incredible risks each time they respond to a call involving an active roadway. More than 250 first responders have died been hit by a vehicle (usually driven by a distracted driver) at work in the last four years.

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

CAMS provides two to three seconds advance notice of an impending collision, significantly 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, creating another level of operational safety.

Whether you’re responding to accidents, providing roadside assistance, or managing snow removal, CAMS is an essential tool for improving situational awareness.

Improving neighborhoods through better trash and recycling collection

Oshkosh also introduced three market-leading technologies that complement its McNeilus Volterra ZSL – the first integrated electric garbage truck of its kind for trash and recycling collection in North America. Most garbage trucks are outdated in terms of modern safety, comfort and noise control principles, Oshkosh CTO Jay Iyenger said in a briefing. But the new truck can detect a trash can, for example, and reach forward with a robotic arm to pick it up on the first try. Typically, a driver must stop and use a joystick to pick up a container through trial and error.

Iyenger said Oshkosh is working on electrification, autonomy and AI technologies to make trash collection and recycling more efficient. There are issues such as cross-contamination of recyclables and trash. It is also designed for operator comfort and safety. To complement the side loader, the company also has a new McNeilus Volterra ZFL front loader.

New technologies include:

• AI-powered container recognition: This enables safer and smarter garbage collection. Using AI and machine learning, collection vehicles can autonomously detect trash cans to enable semi-autonomous trash can handling. At the push of a button, the electric arm extends to collect the container with high precision. The streamlined process reduces human error, speeds cycle times and is expected to shorten training time, Iyenger said. It also increases safety as the arm will not extend if anything other than a container is detected.
• Electrified arm: Oshkosh is replacing the traditional hydraulic arm on garbage and recycling trucks with a new electric version. The electrified arm works faster than hydraulic arms, saving up to 50 to 60 minutes per day and allowing collection companies to serve more homes, Iyenger said. The electrified arm also operates more quietly and helps control maintenance costs compared to its hydraulic counterpart, Iyenger said.
• AI-supported contamination detection for recyclables: Customers say contaminants in the recycling stream cause additional effort and costs. According to the EPA, up to 25% of materials thrown into recycling bins don’t belong there. Oshkosh has developed an advanced vision system using AI to overcome this challenge and identify contaminated materials. This includes state-of-the-art processing that helps divert the maximum amount of clean recyclables from landfills, enabling a more sustainable future. It can also reduce thermal events and increase safety when flammable yard waste or batteries end up in dumpsters.

Eliminate weekly tasks for consumers

Oshkosh is also pioneering a new way to accomplish a required weekly task – taking out the trash and recycling. A hail-capable autonomous garbage robot – electric (HARR-E) will be presented at CES. HARR-E is an innovative, autonomous robot designed for on-demand garbage collection. It offers a smarter, cleaner and safer solution than traditional door-to-door waste collection methods.

HARR-E allows residents to request trash pickup service via a smartphone app or virtual assistant smart speaker. The robot will then make its way from a central waste collection point in the neighborhood. It will navigate autonomously to the resident’s home using a known environmental map and perception sensors, Iyenger said.

When HARR-E reaches the resident’s apartment, it automatically opens the lid and residents can throw their garbage in. An internal scale weighs the landfilled waste and monitors the payload. This gives apartment complexes the option to charge a pickup fee based on weight.

After picking up the trash, HARR-E closes its lid and returns to the central neighborhood collection point to drop off its load and load up for the next pickup, Iyenger said. HARR-E is designed to benefit all residents while improving accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly for whom typical curbside trash collection is challenging.

Additionally, HARR-E is expected to reduce waste disposal 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 trash cans awaiting collection.

Visitors can check out Oshkosh’s latest innovations and more at booth #5616 in the West Hall
of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).

Separately, Oshkosh executives will participate in CES Tech Talks sessions at CES 2025 and gain insights into how to use electrification, AI, autonomy and connectivity technologies to transform their businesses, redefine customer experiences, increase productivity , increase safety and sustainability and improve employee engagement.

Oshkosh employs more than 18,000 people and was founded in 1917. The company generates annual sales of $9.7 billion.