No, this isn’t a rendering from a Pixar film, it’s what the new USPS mail delivery vehicle will look like.
USPSIt’s called the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, and it was designed by Oshkosh Defense.
USPSYes, it looks funny, but the payoff for duckface is good visibility.
USPSPayload capacity is said to be increased compared to the current Grumman LLV vehicles.
USPSA list of the new features.
USPSThe existing fleet of Grumman LLVs is getting old, and they keep catching on fire, among other problems.
Dünzl/ullstein bild via Getty ImagesApparently there was at least one LLV that was electric. I found this image on Getty, and the caption reads: “Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., sits in an electric mail truck at the finish line of the Tour de Sol, a six-day competition of electric vehicles in which entrants vie for the best efficiency in several categories. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association sponsors the tour, which travels from New York City to Washington, D.C. Press secretary James E. Philipps snaps the picture.” Haven’t been able to find out much more, though.
Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images- In Germany, Deutsche Post decided to build its own EV delivery vehicles, called the StreetScooter, but in 2020 it pulled the plug due to unprofitability.
Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images
The United States Postal Service has decided on a new delivery vehicle. On Tuesday afternoon, the USPS awarded a 10-year, $485-million contract to Oshkosh Defense—better known for armored vehicles—to deliver between 50,000 and 165,000 Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, with the first trucks due on the road in 2023.
Neither the USPS nor Oshkosh is ready to share in-depth specs for the NGDV; Oshkosh still has to finalize the design, according to the press release. We do know that the new fleet will be made of a mix of powertrains. Some will be battery electric, but others will use “fuel-efficient internal combustion engines,” with the ability to be retrofitted “to keep pace with advances in electric vehicle technology.”
The rendered images certainly show a uniquely styled vehicle. The combination of an extremely low hood and very tall windshield gives it more than a little resemblance to a Pixar creation, but the payoff for this anatine look should be excellent forward visibility. Luckily for future postal workers, air conditioning is standard-issue, so they shouldn’t get too hot due to that expanse of glass trapping the Sun’s heat.
More attention appears to have been paid to driver and pedestrian safety than with the USPS’ current fire-prone Grumman LLV trucks. There are airbags, as well as a camera- and sensor-enabled suite of driver assists like automatic emergency braking.
Many had hoped that the USPS was going to choose an all-electric design for its next truck, particularly since President Joe Biden just vowed to electrify the federal government’s vehicle fleet.
Listing image by USPS