The USPS is tapping NASA tech to help deliver the mail … sort of.
The postal service has ordered six electric vans from American startup Canoo to evaluate for use in the mail carrier fleet.
Passenger versions of the van have already been acquired by NASA for use as crew transportation vehicles in its Artemis manned Moon mission program.
The USPS vans are configured for cargo and are equipped with right-hand-drive steering.
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“The multi-purpose platform with steer-by-wire technology and a unique low-profile suspension system allows for a readily configurable right-hand drive system while maintaining desired roll and ride stability,†Canoo CEO Tony Aquila said in a press release.
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The USPS is beginning to upgrade its fleet with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) electric vehicles while an all-electric version of its new Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) is developed.
The USPS announced this week that it had taken delivery of the first of the 9,250 Ford E-Transit electric vans it is buying as part of a planned 21,000 COTS vehicle acquisition across several brands. It expects to add 45,000 electric NGDVs through 2028.
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Canoo’s delivery vans are advertised with approximately 200 miles of range and cost around $35,000, although the exact price of the USPS vans hasn’t been announced.