Bloomberg Businessweek: Oshkosh Corporation CEO John Pfeifer on Innovation at CES 2026

Date: January 8, 2026
Host(s): Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec
Guest: John Pfeifer, CEO of Oshkosh Corporation

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Pfeifer, CEO of Oshkosh Corporation, joins Bloomberg’s Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec live from CES 2026. The discussion centers around Oshkosh's approach to innovation, the impact of political and economic shifts (including tariffs), the commercialization of new postal delivery vehicles, and the company’s progress towards vehicle autonomy. The conversation offers a candid look into how a major American manufacturer adapts to global challenges, drives technological development, and maintains strong performance amidst changes in the political landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Responding to Presidential Involvement and Policy Shifts

• Context: The President commented recently on matters including dividends, buybacks, CEO salaries at defense companies, and institutional investment in U.S. homes.
• Oshkosh's Relevance: Pfeifer clarifies that defense is a small segment for Oshkosh and these issues have limited direct impact.
  • Quote:

    "A minority of the revenue for Oshkosh Corporation comes through the defense business...about 10% of our revenue."
    — John Pfeifer (01:19)

• Navigating Policy Noise: Pfeifer avoids direct political opinion, focusing instead on adaptability.
  • Quote:

    "In today's world we have to be very agile and very nimble."
    — John Pfeifer (02:29)

Mitigating Tariff Impacts & Supply Chain Adaptation

• Challenge: Tariffs and geopolitical shifts require constant adjustment, especially as a global manufacturer with extensive U.S. operations.
• Tariff Engineering: Moving supply chains is resource-intensive due to the complexity and specificity of their products.
  • Quote:

    "It's not just a simple matter of moving a purchase order from one supplier to another. There's a lot of engineering and validation that goes into play."
    — John Pfeifer (03:44)

• Continued Focus: Ongoing efforts in "tariff engineering" are required into 2026.
  • (03:44 – 04:30)

U.S. Postal Service Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV)

• Current Status: Full speed ahead; vehicles are in production and active in nearly all U.S. states.
  • Quote:

    "It's in production. It's in almost every state in the United States today delivering mail. We, we've got millions and millions of miles delivered already on these vehicles. The Postal Service absolutely loves it."
    — John Pfeifer (04:52)

• EV vs. Internal Combustion Mix:
  Despite political changes, the order mix remains steady.
  • "About 70% battery electric and about 30% internal combustion" as of now.
    — John Pfeifer (05:49)
• Production Ramp: At or ahead of USPS requirements.
  • Quote:

    "We're at or ahead of what the Postal Service's requirements are now... it's full steam ahead with that program and it's a great vehicle."
    — John Pfeifer (06:05)

Innovation & Autonomy at CES 2026

• Autonomous Technology: Autonomy is being embedded across Oshkosh’s product lines—construction equipment (JLG), airport services, refuse/recycling vehicles.
• Commercialization Roadmap:
  • Full autonomy will likely appear first in airport applications, with CES featuring demos.
  • Quote:

    "You’ll continue to see full autonomy probably start to come into play maybe in the airport markets first... Instead of having a wing walker, you’ve got an autonomous vehicle doing the wing walking to bring airports in and out, or an autonomous vehicle pushing jets back from the gate."
    — John Pfeifer (07:09)

• CES Booth: Showcases autonomous vehicles and the "airport of the future" (07:09 – 08:06)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Global Agility in Manufacturing:

  "We’re a quintessential American manufacturer with plants all over the US but we’re still a global company with global supply chains. So we went about being nimble and, and got a lot of engineers and a lot of our supply chain professionals on tariff engineering work…"
  — John Pfeifer (02:29)

• On EV & Internal Combustion Mix:

  "It's about 70% battery electric and about 30% internal combustion."
  — John Pfeifer (05:49)

• On the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV):

  "If you Google it, NGDV, you'll see a lot of even postal carriers uploading videos of how much improvement this has given them in terms of how they do their work."
  — John Pfeifer (06:05)

• On Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Airports:

  "We’ll show you what the airport of the future looks like. And there’s autonomous vehicles all over. Instead of having a wing walker, you’ve got an autonomous vehicle doing the wing walking..."
  — John Pfeifer (07:09)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Presidential Involvement & Defense Business — 00:40–02:14
• CEO Agility & Tariff Adaptation — 02:14–04:30
• USPS Delivery Vehicle & Contract Questions — 04:30–06:05
• EV/Internal Combustion Mix & Production Levels — 05:49–06:05
• Autonomous Tech at CES & Future Applications — 07:09–08:06

Episode Takeaways

• Oshkosh is thriving by combining American manufacturing roots with global agility.
• Innovation is strong, with autonomy as a leading focus, especially for future airport and delivery applications.
• EV adoption is robust (70%), demonstrating both market and operational commitment.
• Political and economic shifts require manufacturers to be increasingly nimble, with “tariff engineering” as a new normal for global supply chains.

For a closer look at innovation in legacy industries and a clear-eyed assessment of the challenges facing global manufacturers, this conversation with John Pfeifer at CES 2026 is a revealing listen.