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The last time we saw a proposed design for the U.S. Postal Service's NGDV (Next Generation Delivery Vehicle), it looked like this:
That was in 2018, and the design was so all-over-the-place that industrial designer Michael DiTullo dedicated a sketch video to revising it.
However, it turns out that the design above, by Turkish manufacturer Karsan, was not ultimately selected by the USPS. Instead, yesterday they announced that they're going with this model by Oshkosh Defense, a manufacturer of tactical vehicles:
I actually like the design--at least for its application. It's a postal truck, so it looking friendly and a bit goofy doesn't bug me. And if you look at the way the hood drops off on either side, I'd say the driver probably has an unparalleled view of the front corners, compared to any other motor vehicle, lowering the chances they'll run over the family pet. (The 360-degree camera system ought help with this, too.)
The new NGDVs are supposed to roll out in 2023. One thing they've yet to decide is what they'll be powered by; the USPS says "The vehicles will be equipped with either fuel-efficient internal combustion engines or battery electric powertrains and can be retrofitted to keep pace with advances in electric vehicle technologies." If they do go electric, I'm curious what the sound design will be--hopefully it will sound better than that Rivian delivery van does.
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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USPS Unveils their Next Generation Mail Truck Design
A case of "designed by committee" .... "Ok, we'll compromise. You get the duck-bill frontend while we get the appearance of riding-lawnmower sized wheels, and we're all in a agreement that the backend will be angled so any boxes we ship that aren't shaped with 90-degree angles can fit in the awkward reduced-interior cargo space. Genuis!"
Stunningly terrible proportions! wow....downright not attractive on so many levels.
This is not a consumer product, it doesn't need to visually compete. It needs to do its job well. If this purpose-built vehicle looks the way it does to better serve its function, I'm all for it.
Because all electric vehicles should look like a cartoon school of design.
I imagine the USPS constraints and requirements were tough, but sheesh that front side is GOOFY.
Don't the people that order these trucks think about the pride the postal service workers want to feel when using a vehicle? The branding? This vehicle's brand is: "We are a company that wants to look as outdated and bureaucratic as possible." Come on, their competition is the slick Amazon vans!!! What a missed opportunity.
Looks like a mail van plucked from a Pixar movie.