New USPS van

[GeorgeRa]

It is going to take some time to get used to this vehicle. Imagine RV conversion. Cleaning the windshield would be a task. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/pictur...ery-vehicle/2/

[avanti]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

It is going to take some time to get used to this vehicle.

Yes. Possibly forever.

[mumkin]

I think it is rather Pixar designed cute...

It needs eyelashes on the headlights to be perfect.

[rowiebowie]

He who has the best lobbyists, wins.

I don't think there is enough makeup in the world to hide this pig.

[GeorgeRa]

Good visibility is high on my list, this would be my first modification.

[rowiebowie]

Leave it to George to take extemes to the extreme.

[booster]

Personally, I have no trouble with it at all. This is a purpose built vehicle, not for anyone but the post office and how they will use it. How it looks are completely irrelevant, I think. It is like saying and M1 tank looks bad and needs chrome bumpers, when appearance is the last thing they need to worry about.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by booster

Personally, I have no trouble with it at all. This is a purpose built vehicle, not for anyone but the post office and how they will use it. How it looks are completely irrelevant, I think. It is like saying and M1 tank looks bad and needs chrome bumpers, when appearance is the last thing they need to worry about.

When they deliver mail in places where M1 tanks are driven, I agree with this. However, when they do so in every residential neighborhood in the country, then I think appearance DOES matter. Not the first priority perhaps, but the world would be a pretty ugly place if we didn't have industrial design.

[Jon in AZ]

I think form is following function here. The driving position has to be low for reaching mailboxes. The back was made high to provide full height standing room for package deliveries. Bending and stooping is bad for the back, which makes for injuries. The nose is long for crashworthiness.

[GeorgeRa]

I don’t understand why windshield is so high, functionally doesn’t have to be so high and in hot weather it would be painful. Hopefully top mounted windshield wipers will wipe right areas, the line-of-sight areas.

[MsNomer]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I don’t understand why windshield is so high, functionally doesn’t have to be so high and in hot weather it would be painful. Hopefully top mounted windshield wipers will wipe right areas, the line-of-sight areas.

Driver can stand up directly from the seat to walk into the rear instead of crouching while in the cab. Makes plenty of sense to me.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

Driver can stand up directly from the seat to walk into the rear instead of crouching while in the cab. Makes plenty of sense to me.

I agree regarding the high cab, but why windshield. Sprinters have high cab but reasonable windshields. In the tradeoff if visibility while standing up versus sun exposure I would vote for less heat. UPS panel vans have low windshields.

Too bad USPS didn’t select this British UPS future van design, also high
windshield but looks like it’s top portion is blocked.

[booster]

I think the low windshield is to give good visibility of the curbline and mailboxes so a bit easier for the carriers.

[Bud]

Seems near perfect from the pictures. I'll bet the folks that matter drove them a bunch, prior to .................

Bud

[booster]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I agree regarding the high cab, but why windshield. Sprinters have high cab but reasonable windshields. In the tradeoff if visibility while standing up versus sun exposure I would vote for less heat. UPS panel vans have low windshields.

Too bad USPS didn’t select this British UPS future van design, also high
windshield but looks like it’s top portion is blocked.

It may be the requirement that they be able to have them gas or electric that eliminates a flat nose like the Euro one. Room for an engine without intruding on the cab. I wonder if it would get a boxer engine, being so low.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by booster

It may be the requirement that they be able to have them gas or electric that eliminates a flat nose like the Euro one. Room for an engine without intruding on the cab. I wonder if it would get a boxer engine, being so low.

Could be 4 inline heavily tilted like in this old VW replacing a boxer.

[booster]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

Could be 4 inline heavily tilted like in this old VW replacing a boxer.

Sounds like a natural for Surbaru to be in on.


They could probably supply a complete drivetrain/suspension for the front, engine to tires on a bolt in K frame that could easily be exchanged for the electric drive, which appears to be a necessity in the design.

[mloganusda]

Or for quick trips they could use this model.

MLogan
Smyrna, TN

[Jon in AZ]

I'm not so sure the cowl is quite so low as it looks. It may be a trick of the eye due to the cartoonishly tall windshield. It's certainly no lower than many Hondas of the 90's with slightly canted, transverse I4's. I tried to find out what sort of engine was going to power the non-electric units, but came up empty.

A more conventional van body style is great for package delivery, but not so much for mail delivery. The low driving position gives access to mailboxes. The snout not only increases crashworthiness but provides easier engine bay access for service. It's half a mail delivery car and half a package van. No other delivery service has quite the same task as USPS.

An odd duck (pun intended), but it makes sense.

[Rocinante]

Definitely a funny-looking vehicle. To get the cartoon effect right, though, put the eyes on the windshield, not the hood.

That said, as a taxpayer / postal rate payer, I care mostly about functionality, safety for the postal carrier and those around them, and reliability of the fleet to keep long term costs to a minimum.