U.S. Postal Service opts for RAM cargo vans

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced it will supply the U.S. Postal Service with more than 9,000 Ram ProMaster cargo vans, giving the new cargo van a high-profile contract that could help to raise brand awareness for Ram’s commercial truck division, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press.

With more than 190,000 vehicles, the Postal Service operates one of the largest vehicle fleets in the nation.

The postal service is planning to use the 2016 Ram ProMaster 2500 cargo as a postal delivery vehicle. The Ram ProMaster 2500 is equipped with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine rated at 280-horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque.

“The Ram ProMaster is suited to meet the challenging demands of a USPS delivery vehicle,” Bob Hegbloom, president and CEO of Fiat Chrysler’s Ram brand said in a statement. “Reliability, durability, ease of use, lower acquisition and operating costs are hallmarks of the Ram ProMaster.”

In less than two years, the ProMaster van has leaped from nonexistent to third place among large commercial vans sold in the U.S. The ProMaster competes against the Ford Transit, Chevrolet Express, Nissan NV and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

So far this year, the automaker has sold 16,774 ProMaster vans in the U.S. compared with 75,931 Ford Transit vans, 37,542 Chevrolet Express vans, 16,077 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters and 11,101 Nissan NV vans.

Ford recently won a portion of the U.S. Postal service vehicle award and has been asked to provide 570 Transit vans.

ProMaster, launched in 2013, is based on the Fiat Ducato, a popular large commercial van in Europe

The ProMaster is part of the Ram Commercial lineup that lineup also includes the Ram ProMaster City, which was adapted from a popular commercial van sold in Europe as the Fiat Doblo.