Sunday, February 15, 2015

5 Ideas For a New US Postal Service Vehicle

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.
 
Ford Raptor Silver

For years, the United States Postal Service has been mulling over the idea of replacing its aging ‘Long Life Vehicle’ fleet. According to a new report from Automotive News, it looks like a purported $4.5 billion deal could come sooner rather than later, with the USPS reportedly meeting with automakers next week to weigh potential bids.

While we suspect a van like the Ford Transit Connect or RAM ProMaster will win the bid, we have a few other LLV replacements the US Postal Service should think about (some not too seriously).

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon


cadillac-cts-v-mail-vehicle

Sadly, the CTS-V wagon is no longer with us. GM closed the books on the five-door 556 horsepower estate in 2014, but we figure it could make a great quick-delivery postal vehicle, especially since the new model channels 640 rampaging ponies (bring back the wagon, GM). Amazon wants drones to deliver a box to your house in 30 minutes – let the CTS-V cut that time to about 30 seconds.

Local Motors Rally Fighter


local-motors-rally-fighter-mail-vehicle

At its core, the Post Office’s current ‘Long Life Vehicle’ is little more than a thin metal box on a rear-drive Chevrolet S10 chassis – not the greatest setup for tackling inclement weather or steep slippery hills. The Rally Fighter on the other hand can tackle just about anything thanks to its 430 horsepower V8 engine and long-travel off-road suspension. Big packages? No worries, just tie them on the roof.

Jeep Renegade


jeep-renegade-mail-truck

Mail carriers do most of their driving from parking spot to parking spot, emphasizing a need for their vehicles to be small yet capable. The ‘Trail Rated’ Renegade is in fact capable, small, a quite the cute little ute. Don’t forget, before the USPS had the LLV, they had the Jeep DJ.

Toyota Prius V


toyota-prius-v-mail-vehicle

On a more serious note, the practical and efficient Toyota Prius makes for a compelling LLV replacement straight out of the box. Sure, the rear seats and cabin features would have to go, but the hybrid fuel savings could add up to be monumental. The USPS has had a long history of experimental electric vehicles – the Prius could “go green” on a full scale.

Ford Raptor


2017 Ford Raptor photo

Is there anything the Ford Raptor can’t do? If there is, let us know, because we haven’t found it yet. One could only imagine the bed of this truck filled to the brim with packages and mail bags. They just need to make sure they tie them down so everything doesn’t go flying.
What do you think — which ride would be best for the USPS? Let us know in the comments.

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