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U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

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Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#401

Post by 7speter »

dev1n wrote: post #389
SamBam wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Around me (Boston USA area) there are ebike grocery deliveries (Getir) wizzing down every street. It's a great idea, although clearly the incentives are set up so that the delivery guys need to complete as many orders as possible, the predictable result of which is that these kids are driving dangerously the wrong was down one-way streets and cutting lights.

The ebikes aren't dangerous, the cars that hit them are. I think that's an important distinction.

Right, its the cars that are dangerous when people on bikes (ebikes or not) ride on sidewalks.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#402

Post by screwturner68 »

mcv wrote: post #282
mschuster91 wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't really understand why they went with a one-size-has-to-fit-all solution here when there's such a high variety of climates and terrains in the US. Makes logistics cheaper if you only have one model to take care of, and since these are bespoke vehicles you'll also save on costs because the factory only has to build one variation.

Dutch postal service PostNL has a wide variety of vehicles ranging from trucks to bicycles. And as far as I know, bicycles have always been a big part of the last few miles of mail delivery here. https://www.postnl.nl/over-postnl/pers-nieuws/beeldmateriaal...

I think a lot of it has to do with density. In the urban areas of the US mail carriers walk, lot sizes are small (8-10m) so getting on an off a bike every 30 seconds doesn't make much sense. In the rural areas it could me a mile or more between houses. They both can use the same truck, in urban areas they just park it in a central location and refill their bag as needed then drive it back to the shop when done.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#403

Post by 7speter »

gwbas1c wrote: post #382
b112 wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to go out of your way to get to the gas station, go up to the pump, pay for it, and then get back on your way. It always takes me 5-10 minutes to get gas. Wow. Gas stations are everywhere, conveniently located, and always on route to some place or another. The mental gymnastics employed, to try to make this seem arduous, does not make for a compelling argument.

Seriously, take a moment to calculate how much stopping at a gas station takes out of a trip. For example, when I have to get off of a freeway in order to get gas, I usually have to navigate an intersection and might have to sit through a traffic light. In places I used to live, getting gas meant turning left instead of going right on red. Then leaving the gas station meant sitting through another stop light or two.…

Yes, I’m sure there will be usps charging stations on every block in the near future.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#404

Post by lumb63 »

nightski wrote: post #397
screwturner68 wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really love the concept of ebikes, for an urban/suburban area it's a viable alternative to a car. This issue as I see is that the regulations just aren't there and people are ebikes ride like complete idiots. Pre-ebike if you were riding at 25mph chances were you were a pretty good cyclist and had good control over your bike, now anybody that can find an ebike is zipping along at 25mph. This wouldn't be a problem i…

As an avid cyclist it really bothers me when any cyclist, e-bike or not, violates the rules of the road. It's so important we follow them. Much of the hatred received is because of bikers doing things they are not supposed to giving us a bad reputation.

YES! I often get (unreasonably) upset at bicyclists because, in my experience, one in maybe ten follow the rules of the road. Where I am, it is very common that bicyclists will behave like a car when it is convenient for them, and like a pedestrian when it is convenient for them. They weave in and out of traffic, if they obey traffic laws at all. They run red lights, ride at night without reflectors, etc. I have nothing personal against bicyclists, but a lot of them drive very unsafe.

I imagine dedicated bike lanes would help with this, but at least where I am, there are dozens of cars for every bike, so I’m not sure how much sense it makes.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#405

Post by anthomtb »

kalleboo wrote: post #302
mojoe wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think what parent is saying is that in the US a disproportionate percentage of USPS budget is spent delivering mail to extremely rural areas (far from both cities and small towns).

My parents live in rural Australia and their postwoman just drives a regular 4wd pickup truck, not some special mail van. She delivers on a lot of dirt/mud tracks and has to traverse small rivers, I don't think the special USPS van is built to do that.

The USPS delivery vehicle in the rural, mountainous neighborhoods outside my city is an older Chevrolet Suburban. I am assuming this is a private vehicle, contracted to delivery mail in a certain area but its possible that it is government owned.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#406

Post by 7speter »

theshrike79 wrote: post #355
jjeaff wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most gas delivery vehicles don't idle these days. But maybe the starter motor requires more maintenance.

Wait, "most" (over 50%) long-haul trucks and vans have start-stop functionality?

Am I missing something? This whole thread has been about delivery trucks not long-haul trucks.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#407

Post by Reubachi »

Retric wrote: post #378
frosted-flakes wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one is claiming electrification isn't practical for mail delivery vans. The grandparent comments are discussing long-haul trucking.

Long haul trucking is solved by electrifying US highways. Trains can charge from overhead lines at 200+MPH doing the same for trucks at highway speeds is relatively trivial and allows for on trip charging. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_road An EV semi with a relatively modest 100 mile range battery easily solves the last mile problem off highways while weighing the same as a traditional ICE engine + fuel.

C'mon guys. "Relatively trivial" is not the two words I would use to describe electrifying highway grids.

And to convert road vehicles to conduct off that highway? The words I would use to describe/implement that is "Absolute Taxpayer Aversion". Billions and billions in R&D with no guarantee of adoption and likely greater operating costs for 10s of reasons.(Maintenance, contract costs, accidents, teething.

Many counties, even liberal ones, in the US still have dirt roads. In western ireland it's about half the roads are dirt that I saw. If we can't figue out laying concrete at scale, how can we accomplish this "trivially"?

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#408

Post by hbarka »

thehappypm wrote: post #393
hbarka wrote: post #226

The mailman stopping and starting the engine at every mailbox is so ridiculously wasteful, not just of energy but also time. That’s an additional 15-20 seconds between mailboxes fiddling with the ignition and transmission. In various neighborhoods I’ve lived in all the mailmen did this. Looking forward to EV delivery trucks to make life easier for the drivers and not having to hear that screeching of the ignition at…

Starting the truck doesn’t take 20 seconds.

Between the mailboxes isn’t merely twisting the key to start. It’s the sum of starting, removing parking brake, shifting to Drive……(…)…shifting to Park, turning off the engine, set parking brake.

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#409

Post by 7speter »

nicholsonpk wrote: post #84
akira2501 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> electricity prices per mile of transport per ton were about 25% that of fossil fuel prices per mile of transport per ton In shipping and logistics, time is money. Fuel can be dispensed in the US at a maximum of 10 gal/minute. Factor that against the largest charger you can find and see why the single cost difference doesn't matter yet. > They should really move all long-haul trucking to electric as well Reduced cap…

According to the USPS, "The longest rural delivery route is in Clarinda, IA. The carrier travels 181.4 miles daily and delivers to 234 boxes." It seems like most electric vehicles should have no problem covering that in a single trip and I assume this was something they tested before ordering.

Yeah, hopefully they tested range for the coldest days in winter in that region as well, considering an aerodynamically optimized tesla gets 200 mile range in optimal weather conditions (i.e. sunny day in Los Angeles/the bay area)

Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs

#410

Post by flutas »

pugworthy wrote: post #170
robshrk wrote: post #65

My neighborhood delivers the mail on foot, while the truck is parked most of the day. The delivery man walks more than a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker.

Seems to be at the discretion of the delivery person. Our usual one walks a lot, but there's one sub that literally drives to every house, hops out, delivers.

> Seems to be at the discretion of the delivery person.

Historically: It's by section of the route. Each route is supposed to have designated walking or riding sections.

That might have changed recently though.

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