How does this interact with the huge contract with Oshkosh a couple years ago to replace the LLV?
From the article this is a separate contract for COTS trucks, along with some gas ones from Stellantis.
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
#12How does this interact with the huge contract with Oshkosh a couple years ago to replace the LLV?
That contract was investigated, controversial, scaled back, and might end up being cancelled. Oshkosh has never built small electric delivery vehicles. Their specialty is big, heavy vehicles. Fire trucks, concrete mixers, military vehicles, etc. Using the boring but practical electric Ford Transit van makes sense. Those things are going to take over the local commercial van market. They're already in mass production.
I imagine Ford is also a lot better at building huge quantities of vehicles than Oshkosh.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#13For comparison, Australia Post went with mostly 3-wheel electric bikes for local deliveries (3100 out of 4100 EVs in the fleet mid 2022). https://auspost.com.au/our-stories/inspiring-stories/sustain... there's a photo in the link. The low noise compared to the previous powered bikes is really nice.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#14I see Amazon's electric trucks in Berkeley quite often. I wonder how that fleet is working out for them. Of course the mail in my city is delivered primarily on foot.
I have no idea for certain, but I would guess really well.
Mostly because I saw one of them for the first time ever in Seattle about 3.5 months ago. At first it was just one, then I saw another one a week later. The frequency kept increasing to the point where I see multiple ones every time I go on a short grocery trip a few miles away. They expanded to the point where they are everywhere here now, and I doubt they would continue expanding it so aggressively if it wasn't working out.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#15I’ve been wondering what the most repairable vehicle might look like, and I guess the USPS already put a lot of brain power into that problem. I presume this is ugly because it’s both purpose built and highly repairable.
Ugly is subjective. I see it as "modern style has been sacrificed to achieve functionality/safety/..." and that's a form of beautiful for me.
I guess they are saying it’s “functional” but lacks “form”. These are distinct things which do not imply one another. What we value is of course subjective.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#16I’ve been wondering what the most repairable vehicle might look like, and I guess the USPS already put a lot of brain power into that problem. I presume this is ugly because it’s both purpose built and highly repairable.
Ugly is subjective. I see it as "modern style has been sacrificed to achieve functionality/safety/..." and that's a form of beautiful for me.
Also, the current ones aren't all that stylish either.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#17Where are they going to charge them once a post office has a few? I thought I read somewhere that charging infrastructure is fine for a household but a fleet of 10+ EVs will need significantly more juice (technical term) and hardware to mitigate significant safety concerns.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#18[flagged]
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#19Where are they going to charge them once a post office has a few? I thought I read somewhere that charging infrastructure is fine for a household but a fleet of 10+ EVs will need significantly more juice (technical term) and hardware to mitigate significant safety concerns.
First paragraph of the article:
> The service awarded contracts on Tuesday for 9,250 battery electric vehicles and for more than 14,000 charging stations.
Re: U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ugly is subjective. I see it as "modern style has been sacrificed to achieve functionality/safety/..." and that's a form of beautiful for me.
I guess they are saying it’s “functional” but lacks “form”. These are distinct things which do not imply one another. What we value is of course subjective.
Utilitarian or industrial can be seen as a form itself as well. The lack of complex design in the body is both functional and a form.