For context, this is the current design, the Grumman LLV:
And this is the new 2024 redesign, the Oshkosh NGDV:
New design is goofy but I kinda love it, it looks like a cartoon. Also it just screams functionality, the driver can see so much out of that massive windshield
Old looks cheap to make, new looks cheap and safe to operate, shows, imo, a positive trend.
Yes, the ones out there, so far, are reportedly a hit amongst mail carriers
The old design looks like it was cobbled together by Elon Musk in his garage.
It’s the exact opposite of something Musk would make. Every aspect of the old LLV was designed to be used. Every aspect designed for longevity. If the steering wheels aren’t coming off of the Tesla cars, the metal cover is coming off of the Cybertruck’s footpedal.
I was mostly referring to the design mostly consisting of flat metal plates, something that hasn’t been common in cars or even very sturdy, long-lived work vehicles, pretty much ever since the WW2 era of vehicle design (e.g. 1948 Unimog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimog )
The old model was named the Long Life Vehicle (LLV) for a reason. Ugly for sure, but rock sold. Designed in an era when the main concern was to last 6 digits on the odometer, powered by the iron duke engine. Moderately efficient at the time of its design in the late 70s, but absolutely dependable.
