After years of back and forth, USPS has finally put its new electric "NGDV" trucks into service, and drivers say they love the new trucks.
  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    222·
    2 months ago

    have air conditioning

    have air conditioning

    I read the whole article because I had a sneaking suspicion this was probably the biggest (and most important to drivers) upgrade. Although I will be fair and say the ability to walk through the vehicle to get packages instead of having to circle around to the back is pretty fucking sweet as well.

    • Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip
      95·
      2 months ago

      basically how i see it with delivery trucks, you need a few things.

      heated/air vented seats for driver comfort along with AC.

      easy access to the back of the truck

      as well as room to stand in the truck, because the driver is going to have to constantly get in and out of the driver seat, so being able to get out easier/faster is good.

      • BigDaddySlim@lemmy.worldEnglish
        19·
        2 months ago

        Yes, I’m 6ft and have to hunch over in the back of the LLV, or squat down while re-sorting packages. The inner compartment door is one of the best things about the LLV since the heaters suck and it helps keep the heat in the cabin, plus the ease of access.

        I haven’t gotten to use one of these new trucks because I’m in a smaller office which will likely be one of the last to get them but they did try and get us the newer Metris vans which are horrible. No inner compartment door so you have to constantly get out and no adjustability to the mail tray.

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
    122·
    2 months ago

    EVs for service vehicles that do a lot of local starts and stops is a no-brainer. Should have been done a long time ago. It’s no wonder that they’re getting good reception, after years of working with worn out equipment. I regularly see tow trucks with a Grumman.

    • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
      851·
      2 months ago

      Trump’s guy Louis deJoy did his damndest to prevent USPS from adopting EVs.

    • pufferfisherpowder@lemmy.world
      19·
      2 months ago

      There’s a bunch of electric garbage trucks in my city. My kid is obsessed with any heavy machinery these days so we were watching one and I got to talking to the driver. He told me that he absolutely loves them. They are easy to operate, they accelerate fast, they seem to break down less.
      I have seen them accelerate, they go hard. And it’s just so fucking cool to have a big dump truck be silent?! I cannot get over how happy it makes me that they’re just chilling silently when they’re stopped. Makes my mornings more peaceful.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
        91·
        2 months ago

        I’m surprised (and very happy) that the driver loves it. Getting truckers on board with electric semis is a huge challenge, so if other heavy truck drivers like their electrics that will hopefully help win them over.

        • pufferfisherpowder@lemmy.world
          4·
          2 months ago

          Most of the drivers of these are also waste collectors. He told me he appreciates that it’s less hassle to operate. No gear shifting, no noise, good acceleration, they feel more nimble.
          I suppose range and accessible of charging ports in particular would be a concern for a long haul drivers but that’s not an issue if you have a relatively (range wise) tour through the city, and get back to and central hub every day.

        • pingveno@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 months ago

          I’m not too surprised. It must be quite unpleasant working around a noisy piece of machinery like that.

        • lepinkainen@lemmy.world
          2·
          2 months ago

          American truckers especially love their FREEDOM to a stupid degree. I do get the lifestyle of being a road cowboy never knowing where your next haul is going to.

          But they’re also a dying breed, new drivers want to get home now and then and not live in a truck for months without seeing their family.

          There was a good documentary about this a while ago, can’t remember where.

      • ShareMySims@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        And it’s just so fucking cool to have a big dump truck be silent?! I cannot get over how happy it makes me that they’re just chilling silently when they’re stopped. Makes my mornings more peaceful.

        This in itself is worth the change, reducing noise in residential areas (and others) would be a huge improvement in quality of life for both people and wildlife.

    • mercano@lemmy.world
      13·
      2 months ago

      The last Grumman LLV rolled off the assembly line 30 years ago, and has been probably been driven six days a week, except federal holidays, ever since. I’m not surprised they’re on their last legs.

      • Rhaedas@fedia.io
        6·
        2 months ago

        Yes, credit where it’s due for them lasting. Those are like the COBOL running banks and government stuff, never intended to last forever, yet still being used because it’s easier and cheaper (well, probably not in the long run).

  • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.winEnglish
    68·
    2 months ago

    This article does that annoying thing where it uses acronyms Initialisms without previously using the full verbiage at least once.

    BEV - Battery-Electric Vehicle

    NGDV - Next Generation Delivery Vehicle

    LLV - Long Life Vehicle

  • snooggums@lemmy.worldEnglish
    64·
    2 months ago

    My dogs know the sound of Mailman Mike’s truck when it’s a couple blocks away. They go outside to get a treat from him every day when he drives by. I’m guessing they won’t do this once he switches to a quiet EV.

    Electric motors gave a quiet high pitched whine that will be extremely easy for dogs to hear and will the mailman is coming once they catch on.

    So glad to see the upgrade actually has quality of life features for the drivers beyond not needing to breathe in exhaust fumes all day!

  • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
    552·
    2 months ago

    Hey American modern pick up truck heads. Notice how normal the bonnet is? Notice how you can SEE enough to not run people over? This is a true utility vehicle. Look how massive this bad boy is without being a death machine 👍

    • pyre@lemmy.world
      131·
      2 months ago

      but it doesn’t have enough sharp edges i feel like. what if i want to slice a kid in half?

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
      32·
      2 months ago

      I have a mini cargo van as my everyday car that can move quite a bit of cargo, but I also bottom out if I go on a road that’s too bumpy.

      The family truck has the clearance to go off the pavement.

      • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
        3·
        2 months ago

        A video which puts all the arguments better than I ever could: https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo

        But the notion you can only have high clearance by making your hood so massive to the point you can’t see your child as you run them over in your own driveway, doesn’t make sense.

        I’d strongly encourage you to give the video a go.

        These trucks are now infesting my streets to (Australia) to a lesser degree. It’s an arms race that really needs to be stopped. I hope you consider some of the points made in the video.

  • Mac@mander.xyz
    36·
    2 months ago

    “The BEV variant has an estimated range of 70 mi (110 km) and a computed consumption of 1.34 kW⋅h/mi (25.2 mpg‑e). Although using the air conditioner was not expected to affect the range, using the heater was expected to reduce range by up to half. Based on the typical distance driven, it was assumed that only 20% of the battery state of charge would be used each day for most NGDVs; analysis of USPS mail carrier routes demonstrated the all-electric variant’s range could accommodate 95% of all routes.”

    have to go elsewhere for vehicle specs
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshkosh_NGDV?wprov=sfla1

    • keckbug@lemmy.world
      6·
      2 months ago

      I’m actually shocked at the inefficiency of the electric powertrain tbh. An F-150 Lightning gets twice the distance per wh, a Model Y is quadruple. I’m not entirely sure if it’s just simply the size, but the lightning has a comparable gvwr. Just seems weird to me

      • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
        11·
        2 months ago

        Maybe these people are actually reporting the real world mileage with AC turned on and constant stops to deliver mail, as opposed to Ford who is financially incentivized to exaggerate mileage in optimal conditions.

      • IMALlama@lemmy.world
        11·
        2 months ago

        I wonder how they calculated the range. If it’s representative of the real world drive cycle these will experience, the estimate might not be too far off. A postal route is constant low speed stop and go. Regen is much more effective at higher speeds, so they’re probably dumping most of their kenetic energy to hear via friction brakes. Suspect their drive cycle is going to be something like an endless cycle of 25 kw acceleration, rest, 25 kw acceleration, rest, etc.

        • Preflight_Tomato@lemm.ee
          4·
          2 months ago

          I bet it’s this exactly. Cars get more efficient metrics on highway vs city start and stop. If the vehicle ONLY starts and stops it must be terrible, even if these have regen brakes.

      • moncharleskey@lemmy.zip
        10·
        2 months ago

        So, I was curious and did some digging on the old LLV. Apparently it has a 13.5 gallon tank, and the vehicle is rated at 17mpg, but in actual use it gets more like 8-10mpg. So taking the worst case of 8, that’s about 100 mile range, so the NGDV isn’t really all that much worse. I’m guessing that’s going to cover the majority of routes, with the few outliers being covered by the gas powered versions.

      • MintyFresh@lemmy.world
        4·
        2 months ago

        I mean how many miles a day are most routes? Why order bigger specs if you don’t need them? I can’t imagine most carriers go more than 20 mi a day. I am curious though, I’m sure someone’s crunched the numbers on it.

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
      37·
      2 months ago

      It’s not as fast as I’d like either, but it’s a lot better than the original USPS plan to replace them with diesel trucks.

  • Origen@lemmy.world
    251·
    2 months ago

    I’m not against the swap to EV but that is one Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs looking ass truck.

    • TheHotze@lemmy.world
      29·
      2 months ago

      The unusual look is to make it easier to see around the front of the vehicle, which is especially important if you are stopping and starting.

      • snooggums@lemmy.worldEnglish
        17·
        2 months ago

        The original design didn’t have a hood and looked a but more like a mini bus. Can’t remember why they added the hood, but it was a combination of different things including not having a flat front that increases the chance of killing people vs letting them roll up on a short hood. I think wheel placement was another part so the side door to get in an out could be closer to the ground.

        I kinda love how ugly they are in a utilitarian kind of way.

        • Badabinski@kbin.earth
          13·
          2 months ago

          Ditto. Like, I think it’ll become iconic in the same way the LLV is ugly-iconic. I just like it when government stuff so obviously prioritizes function over form.

        • Wahots@pawb.social
          3·
          2 months ago

          It might also be for a radiator to cool the battery and/or act as a heat pump for the AC/heat. At least, I hope they are using a heatpump.

      • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
        20·
        2 months ago

        It’s ugly af. Was that a project requirement or something? It looks like it has a fucking underbite lol.

        It is, but its pure function over form. If you want the whole story on this here’s a well done 13 minute youtube video: USPS Oshkosh NGDV Postal Van - Ugly by Design

        Short version for the ugly:

        • drivers need to stand up at full height inside for ease of use
        • drivers, when seated, need to see very close to the ground what is in front of them
        • drivers are not all the same torso height. Men are usually taller than women so you need a really tall windshield for very tall seated drivers, and very sharp and short hood for very short drivers.

        Its ugly, but is a very VERY functional design. I’d rather mail carriers are comfortable in their ride than feeling stylish.

      • MrQuallzin@lemmy.world
        7·
        2 months ago

        From an article I read last week, it’s an accessibility thing. Front window needs to be low enough for short carriers, and the vehicle needs to be tall enough for a tall carrier to stand in.

        Looks silly, but pretty well thought out.

  • Vanon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19·
    2 months ago

    The first batch is possibly arriving in one city. (Pics or it didn’t happen, of course. AP delivers!) Well, that’s nice… at least they actually exist?! (That’s a bit of a low bar.) But congrats to the first drivers of these little ducks.

    I’m worried it’s going to take another decade or three for the trucks to actually arrive in the numbers needed. Hopefully the USPS can survive our deplorable politics until then. They are invaluable for small businesses and keeping all mail couriers competitive.

    • BambiDiego@lemmy.world
      28·
      2 months ago

      Because they have Air Conditioning.

      The thing they should have had for the last 40 years. With record breaking heat year after year it should be hazard pay without ac

    • kelargo@lemmy.world
      5·
      2 months ago

      Instantaneous torque, I’m sure offers dramatic improvement over the previous ICE trucks.

    • brianary@startrek.website
      2·
      2 months ago

      Not only do [the old trucks] only get 9 miles per gallon, they’re also noisy, smelly (I have to close my window every day when the mail truck comes around), have no air conditioning, hard to stand up in, and their only safety feature is mirrors that constantly fall out of alignment. AP also points out that nearly 100 LLVs caught fire last year – a common event when it comes to internal combustion vehicles.

  • cybervseas@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    2 months ago

    They look pretty cool, too! I hope our mail carrier gets one soon. They’ve given her a van for now since I guess the old Grumman one she was using finally conked out.

  • cygnus@lemmy.ca
    7·
    2 months ago

    It seems odd to turn to Oshkosh to build these. I wonder how they compare to Amazon’s Rivian vans.

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      12·
      2 months ago

      I mean… the previous ones were by Northop Grumman?

      Is it really a shock that the US turns to defense companies for this kind of thing?

      • reddig33@lemmy.world
        51·
        2 months ago

        There was a time when these were built by Jeep/AMC motors. People used to buy these used at auction and drive them after they were retired. And electric delivery vehicles are already built by companies like Rivian and Ford, though I don’t know what the cost difference is.

        I would think building a “bespoke” vehicle for USPS would result in more expensive service parts. But I don’t know what kind of service contracts are included with these.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
        2·
        2 months ago

        True, but I don’t think it’s had any link to the aerospace company for a very long time, right?

    • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
      51·
      2 months ago

      Rivian doesn’t have the production capacity or the knowledge of navigating federal-level bureaucracy. I’d also rather it go to Rivian but I understand why they didn’t. I doubt that even Tesla could do it.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
        2·
        2 months ago

        Is the rollout happening that quickly? How many are they building in a year? I also can’t imagine a company used to building MRAPs can churn vehicles out faster than a conventional automaker…

    • Badabinski@kbin.earth
      4·
      2 months ago

      I’d guess there’s a bit of MIC lobbying and chicanery afoot here. Like, it does seem like Oshkosh makes some good vehicles, but there’s always pressure to support defense companies when government bidding happens.

      Please note that this is completely baseless speculation on my part. I’m an idiot on the internet that knows fuck-all about shit.

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
      381·
      2 months ago
      • Big batteries need cooling during charging.
      • A/C units need to do heat exchange.
      • Aesthetics
        • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
          71·
          2 months ago

          That’s cool as fuck

          Remember most people look at cars in the US and think “how the fuck can you drive such a ghastly monstrosity?”, and US manufacturers sell different models overseas that aren’t so pretentious and overblown

          I’d take that yellow beastie over a childishly-designed Jeep any day

    • Hildegarde@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 months ago

      It is designed to be gas or electric. The few with gas engines will need the ventilation. Also it does have A/C. That is also why it has an engine bay despite being electric.