At this point Amazon, FedEx and UPS have all put in orders for electric delivery vans. FedEx was actually the first to make the news, ordering 1,000 vehicles from Chinese manufacturer Chanje back in 2018:
Stylistically it's a mess, particularly that front end, where it looks like the designers were halfheartedly trying to rip off the worst part of a Nissan Frontier:
Last month UPS announced they were getting into the electric game too, ordering 10,000 no-gas vans from the UK's Arrival, whose design game is more on point:
But it was Amazon who went largest, if neither first nor last, announcing in 2019 that they'd ordered 100,000 electric vans from Rivian, likely altering the future of that company:
Amazon is also the only one who seems interested in pushing the design angle, releasing images of the mockups in the design studio:
That being said--and sorry to dump on Nissan again--it looks to me like the designers took the last-gen NV200 and stretched everything above the beltline to make it taller.
Who do you think has the best-looking truck? If I look at them all together…
…I've gotta give it to UPS. Sure, the truck's shape is such that new drivers will need a second to figure out which end the driver's compartment is in. But to me it looks the most modern, and I'm digging those sexy little fender flares.
What say you?
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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Who's Got the Best-Looking Electric Delivery Van Design: Amazon, FedEx or UPS?
If only they had made this beauty in electric
I´d like those UPS vehicles could be introduced in México to affect their service for the better. Currently it leaves a lot to be desired.
For me the UPS/Arrival takes the podium, its fresh, it new and it emulates many of the future styling ques from many of the main player's Autonomous Electric Vehicles. It also takes advantage of almost 100% of the vehicles footprint, which is an A+ for efficiency.
Amazon/Rivian FTW!
UPs looks more mature but kinda outdated ... Amazon looks more friendly, much bigger also ? FedEx is a joke designwise, but it looks based on an existing design/platform, maybe more reliable in the short-term.
I'd vote UPS.
Amazon had already invested huge money in Rivian (along with Ford) before they placed the 100,000 vehicle order. So whether or not it's the best design, it seems like they may be the best ones poised to make waves in the market.
I prefer the form of the UPS design. How much difference does the near vertical windscreen make? Also I'm not sure how the driver gets in and out easily and quickly. I assume the door slides in a track? Visibility looks better in the UPS design.