Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
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Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
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Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#2No mention of increased crumple zone, which was probably the entire reason for the redesign in the first place? Sheesh. I assume the article was written entirely based on a press release together with a nice pack of product photos.
The previous models were injury/death traps.
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#3"Oddly-shaped mail trucks seem to be a staple of Americana."
As a non-American I have always found this amusing.
Here in New Zealand Post was until a few years ago delivered by bicycle in cities (SUVs or vans in rural areas). They have since moved towards small electric vehicles called Paxster. Basically large four wheel scooters that can ride on both the road and pavement.
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#4TL;DR because you haven't seen a vehicle optimized for this purpose in 30yr (i.e. since the LLV) and you're not used to seeing this particular instance of it yet.
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#5If you are curious about the fuel like me -- 10% of the new vehicles will be electric [1].
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/25/22300281/usps-new-mail-tr...
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#6No mention of increased crumple zone, which was probably the entire reason for the redesign in the first place? Sheesh. I assume the article was written entirely based on a press release together with a nice pack of product photos. The previous models were injury/death traps.
These vehicles rarely make it above 40mph and the drivers often don't use seat belts.
Spending an extra hundred bucks per vehicle for a nice N-way adjustable seat or spending engineering hours making the seat-belts more convenient will have far greater benefits than throwing random safety technologies at it.
The previous models were designed in the 1980s. All 1980s work vehicles are/were death traps by modern clipboard warrior standards.
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#7[deleted]
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#8If you are curious about the fuel like me -- 10% of the new vehicles will be electric [1]. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/25/22300281/usps-new-mail-tr...
Awesome that it is designed to be electric conversion-friendly. I'd call this a win for functional design constraints because it looks very practical, in a good way. Needs: safety and efficiency.
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#9If you are curious about the fuel like me -- 10% of the new vehicles will be electric [1]. [1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/25/22300281/usps-new-mail-tr...
Too bad it’s not higher. But that’s a good start. It’s a clear win for a well-engineered electric drivetrain given the low miles typically traveled per day (BUT high total miles on odometers as they’re made to last decades), typically low speeds, and extensive stop and start. Playing almost entirely to electric’s strengths and the weaknesses of internal combustion. In an ideal world, I’d hope it’d be 50% electric and 50% plug-in hybrid.
Re: Why the new USPS mail trucks look so weird
#10Why have a specific design anyways? In both Sweden and Spain, the cars carrying mail is typically just a normal half-truck (not sure about the correct name) with the post office branding. Here are two examples: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/DA5TW8/yellow-correos-spanish-post... - https://st2.depositphotos.com/3982569/5739/i/950/depositphot...
Seems to work fine. Packages gets carried in bigger trucks, but still just business trucks with different branding on them. Wouldn't it have saved a lot of cost in the end?