How could they not love them in comparison to the 30+ year old vehicles they've been driving?
Cultural hostility among a subpopulation to electric vehicles as "woke"? Ordinary sentimentality and the natural human discomfort with change?
Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
21–30 of 156 posts
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#22 Yes, It ‘Looks Like a Duck,’ but...
I for one welcome our new duck-shaped overlords.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
I took this to mean that critiquing appearance is itself form over function.
Oh. What does that even mean? Saying something is "form over function" is not derogatory. Lots of great inventions prioritize form over function (iPod comes to mind).
iPod was famously both though? The click-wheel was pretty unique and worked great to make an accessible UIx for the masses.
It may have been somewhat limiting in edge cases, but for normal usage I don't recall anyone complaining about it outside of hardcore tech circles.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#24Interesting that the front windshield only has about 50-60% usable space. On the top this makes sense, as the black coating acts as a sun shade. On the bottom... there goes all the visibility gained by having the low hood. wtf?
The upfitter AUX switches appear to be Ford, same for the AC controls.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#25I don't mind the appearance if it serves a function, but what's the function? An electric truck wouldn't need a traditional engine compartment.
According to Wikipedia[1]:
> Four variants of the NGDV are expected to be in fleet use: both gasoline-powered and battery-electric, in either front wheel drive or all wheel drive.
So I expect the front hood is for the gas powered engine for those variants. Further down, it talks about only 10% will be EV at the start due to cost. Also, this is in partnership with Ford so the ICE power train is the from the Ford Transit van.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#26I've read so much knocking their appearance, which is so confusing to me. It's ultimately function over form in this case; who cares if you don't like how it looks? I can only dream that the visibility and safety of having features like such a low hood and large bumpers would be incorporated into other vehicles (i.e., every SUV ever).
Probably in the minority, but I actually like the look of them. I find so many modern car designs indistinguishable from each other. Cars such a narrow range of design that's considered "good aesthetics" that everything looks so uniform.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#27Say what you will about the Grumman LLV, but every one of them you see on the road today is at least 30 years old, and some could be pushing 40. (The similar-looking Ford-Utilimaster FFV is ~25 this year.) As uncomfortable as it must be to sit in one for hours on end (I never had the privilege myself) you've got to respect their longevity. Here's hoping these new trucks make it to the 2050s and beyond.
From my desk at home I see the lil LLV come down our private road every single day. With retrofitted LED lighting.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#28I've read so much knocking their appearance, which is so confusing to me. It's ultimately function over form in this case; who cares if you don't like how it looks? I can only dream that the visibility and safety of having features like such a low hood and large bumpers would be incorporated into other vehicles (i.e., every SUV ever).
> I've read so much knocking their appearance, which is so confusing to me.
Especially since the old LLVs were pretty ugly in their own way. We've just gotten used to seeing them over the last 38 years.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
for utilitarian purposes, like the guy was quoted "it gets the job done", but for soccer moms and their SUV looks are important.
Safety should be even more important than both, but it obviously isn't since only the USPS trucks have a pedestrian safe design.
If safety were more important than looks, the stilleto would be banned.
Re: Yes, it ‘looks like a duck,’ but carriers like the new USPS mail truck
#30I've read so much knocking their appearance, which is so confusing to me. It's ultimately function over form in this case; who cares if you don't like how it looks? I can only dream that the visibility and safety of having features like such a low hood and large bumpers would be incorporated into other vehicles (i.e., every SUV ever).
> It's ultimately form over function in this case Doesn't "form over function" mean the opposite of your usage? Form = appearance Function = usefulness
Yes, I just reversed it by mistake!