US Postal Service Tests RDV 500 Van

DuoRivians · May 15, 2024

Van seen in Vienna, VA:

Letter of intent:

https://naps.org/files/galleries/US..._in_Vienna_Post_Office_Nicholson_02282024.pdf

Notes from test:

https://www.nalc.org/news/the-postal-record/2024/may-2024/document/DCD.pdf

Tango45 · May 15, 2024

I seent it! I was super confused because it's all white and someone who looked like a postal worker got out.

If I see it again, I'll ~~interrogate~~ say hi to the driver.

kurtlikevonnegut · May 15, 2024

How is the get in and go part a significant concern? I'd think that would be ideal for the exact scenario of frequent stops. If anything, it's more secure than a gas vehicle that is left running while making deliveries, as the vehicle becomes inoperable once the driver is more than 10 ft away.

mikehmb · May 15, 2024

kurtlikevonnegut said:
How is the get in and go part a significant concern? I'd think that would be ideal for the exact scenario of frequent stops. If anything, it's more secure than a gas vehicle that is left running while making deliveries, as the vehicle becomes inoperable once the driver is more than 10 ft away.

It is ideal, but this is an organization that’s not seen any major innovation since they stopped using horses and started using cars. Adapting to the new tech will take some time.

Agree re: security - it’s inherently more secure (including remote disabling and tracking).

Hillbilly · May 15, 2024

Steering wheel is on wrong side, no?

DuoRivians · May 15, 2024

Hillbilly said:
Steering wheel is on wrong side, no?

In my neighborhood in the Bay Area, the postal worker gets out of their delivery truck and walks around homes, buildings to deliver the mail

Hillbilly · May 15, 2024

DuoRivians said:
In my neighborhood in the Bay Area, the postal worker gets out of their delivery truck and walks around homes, buildings to deliver the mail

That's a no go here. We have houses with acreage.

Jimbydude · May 15, 2024

Hillbilly said:
Steering wheel is on wrong side, no?

As above, at least here in Bay Area its on the other side since that's the side mailboxes are on so driver doesn't have to get out.

BigSkies · May 16, 2024

Hillbilly said:
Steering wheel is on wrong side, no?

If you dig into the LOI, it’s for postal delivery routes that currently use Promaster vans.

I don’t think this is meant for the main postal carrier trucks we see in most neighborhoods, but for routes that currently use larger vans.

Hillbilly · May 16, 2024

BigSkies said:
If you dig into the LOI, it’s for postal delivery routes that currently use Promaster vans.

I don’t think this is meant for the main postal carrier trucks we see in most neighborhoods, but for routes that currently use larger vans.

Never seen one in my life, so that would explain my confusion.

jnc007 · May 16, 2024

DuoRivians said:
Van seen in Vienna, VA:

Letter of intent:

https://naps.org/files/galleries/US..._in_Vienna_Post_Office_Nicholson_02282024.pdf

Notes from test:

https://www.nalc.org/news/the-postal-record/2024/may-2024/document/DCD.pdf

Question! Didnt Canoo get that contract? Or are they testing there too?

Tango45 · May 16, 2024

I may have, on accident, by pure happenstance, run into the driver just now while out on a bike ride. He said "they took it back". He got to drive it for a few months and said it was nice. About then I noticed that he was making a face like it was weird and mildly creepy to be accosted by a sweaty, spandexed, middle-aged (and highly attractive) man asking about an electric mail truck, so I bid him farewell and went on my way.

No real info gained for the forum and I've lowered my status in my community. Win-win.

Autolycus · May 16, 2024

Not all USPS vehicles deliver to residential areas and not all residential areas have single-family homes or even row homes. A letter carrier delivering mail to a large apartment building doesn't need a right-hand steering wheel. They get out of the truck and stand by the cluster of mailboxes. Delivering mostly parcels to commercial addresses is another use case where the steering wheel doesn't matter.

Plus I see more and more trips by USPS trucks that aren't stopping at the boxes at all because they're just a package run that doesn't have a single letter, magazine, etc. on board.

RayzorBEV · May 16, 2024

DuoRivians said:
Van seen in Vienna, VA:

Letter of intent:

https://naps.org/files/galleries/US..._in_Vienna_Post_Office_Nicholson_02282024.pdf

Notes from test:

https://www.nalc.org/news/the-postal-record/2024/may-2024/document/DCD.pdf

The obvious choice compared to the Oshkosh van USPS is proposing :CWL:

virgnia_rivian · May 16, 2024

Hillbilly said:
Steering wheel is on wrong side, no?

Nope. If you read the letter above from USPS, this EDV was a test to replace ProMaster vans. These are Ram vehicles. Not the typical house-to-house postal worker delivery vehicles that deliver to curbside mailboxes.

US Postal Service Tests RDV 500 Van

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