The U.S. Postal Service is currently looking for a replacement for the venerable Grumman LLV delivery truck. We've seen two possible replacements, one from Karsan, and another from OshKosh. There are four other companies that have prototypes under consideration, too, including AM General, Utilimaster, Mahindra, and VT Hackney. Now the prototype from VT Hackney has finally been spied, and it looks pretty interesting.
The VT Hackney van is being developed with Workhorse. Like Troy McClure, you may remember Workhorse from other projects, most notable of which are the upcoming W-15 plug-in hybrid pickup truc, and the SureFly drone company. Considering Workhorse's involvement in the project, and its experience with electric and hybrid powertrains for commercial vehicles, we suspect this VT Hackney postal truck is using some sort of hybrid powertrain.
As for the way it looks, sure it's a bit goofy, but at least it's the most eye-catching yet. Karsan's van is a bit of a rounded brick wrapped in chunky plastic and rubber, and the OshKosh proposal is just a Ford Transit with a bunch of mail van bits slapped on. The VT Hackney looks mostly original and has clean sides, and although it has large rubber bumpers, they look better integrated and less pronounced than on the other trucks. The plastic fender flares also aren't over done. The USPS logo placed on the grille like a badge is a nice touch, too. It also appears to be very tall like the Karsan, allowing for plenty of room for standing upright in the cab and in the cargo area, which is likely very sizable, too. Naturally, it has sliding doors and a roll-top rear hatch for easy ingress and egress even in tight spots.
The USPS has planned to make its final decision and send out contracts for vehicles by the end of this year, with production starting next year. The service has said that it's also considering multiple types of vehicle for different purposes rather than relying on just one model. VT Hackney and Workhorse is also likely not the only group showing a hybrid of some sort, since the USPS has said half of the vehicles being tested use alternatively fueled powertrains.
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The VT Hackney van is being developed with Workhorse. Like Troy McClure, you may remember Workhorse from other projects, most notable of which are the upcoming W-15 plug-in hybrid pickup truc, and the SureFly drone company. Considering Workhorse's involvement in the project, and its experience with electric and hybrid powertrains for commercial vehicles, we suspect this VT Hackney postal truck is using some sort of hybrid powertrain.
As for the way it looks, sure it's a bit goofy, but at least it's the most eye-catching yet. Karsan's van is a bit of a rounded brick wrapped in chunky plastic and rubber, and the OshKosh proposal is just a Ford Transit with a bunch of mail van bits slapped on. The VT Hackney looks mostly original and has clean sides, and although it has large rubber bumpers, they look better integrated and less pronounced than on the other trucks. The plastic fender flares also aren't over done. The USPS logo placed on the grille like a badge is a nice touch, too. It also appears to be very tall like the Karsan, allowing for plenty of room for standing upright in the cab and in the cargo area, which is likely very sizable, too. Naturally, it has sliding doors and a roll-top rear hatch for easy ingress and egress even in tight spots.
The USPS has planned to make its final decision and send out contracts for vehicles by the end of this year, with production starting next year. The service has said that it's also considering multiple types of vehicle for different purposes rather than relying on just one model. VT Hackney and Workhorse is also likely not the only group showing a hybrid of some sort, since the USPS has said half of the vehicles being tested use alternatively fueled powertrains.
Related Video:
Featured Gallery VT Hackney / Workhorse USPS prototype truck spy shots
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