Beats walking & carrying a huge bag of mail.

[None]

USPS already testing mail delivery by electric bike with these neat little US-built mail bikes

https://electrek.co/2022/06/03/usps-mail-delivery-electric-mail-bike/

 

[nicobie]

With the potential weight that thing could carry, I'd think that they would have trouble with those wheels.

Good idea though.

 

[Voltron]

DHL uses ones with deployable stabilizers, so they can roll along a row of mailboxes easily, but maneuver better in between.
UPS is starting too...

 

[Chalo]

With the potential weight that thing could carry, I'd think that they would have trouble with those wheels.

Good idea though.

Those are 48 spoke wheels like a pedicab's, hauling a load like that of a pedicab.

I mean, "trouble" is a subjective term, and pedicabs have some wheel troubles.

 

[None]

I've seen lots of Amazon, DHS deliveries on ebikes, e-quads pulling trailers in NYC last year.
They seem to take up as much space as a car, if not more.
I don't know if they would get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic; that seems to defeat the purpose of reducing congestion, but at least reduces pollution.

 

[CONSIDERABLE SHOUTING]

Off the hand thoughts-

Way cheaper than running the LLVs and converted vehicles, which I'm sure the USPS in it's current condition like. I worry about exhaustion of the mail carrier; most will easily walk/move several miles per day, and even with some motor assist this could easily add up to a hundred pounds to move around before packages. Would be very situational. Probably not able to carry serious packages, thus requiring a vehicle and potentially defeating the purpose. Probably unable to be used during winter unless the USPS provides serious winter exposure gear (which they might, depending on how much they save).

 

[Voltron]

One advantage is actually being able to park it while unloading. For a normal delivery van that has to keep finding the next parking spot, that's a big deal in a crowded city.

 

[None]

I see the need for possible dual disc front brake for the USPS delivery e-trike.
If those cargo boxes get loaded up with heavy items, surely the brakes would need to be able to slow & stop the heavy load on a downhill.
I feel that these cargo e-trikes are good solutions for urban areas, large cities that are looking for clean-er solutions and to reduce motor vehicle traffic congestion.
I commute in NYC, delivery folks on ebikes work 24/7, all weather, even in sub-freezing temperature, as long as their ebikes can function... sometime, even when they barely function.

 

[amberwolf]

Probably unable to be used during winter unless the USPS provides serious winter exposure gear (which they might, depending on how much they save).

That would depend entirely on your local winter weather. Places like the Southwest USA would be better suited to using these *in* winter, but not necessarily in summer (for instance, here in Phoenix, AZ, with 110-120F+ temperatures, and often little or no breeze during midday/early afternoon as the winds begin to shift directions as the city heats up, unless at least basic cooling systems can be implemented.

Probably not able to carry serious packages, thus requiring a vehicle and potentially defeating the purpose.

That would depend on the assist system. For instance, with my SB Cruiser trike and the bigger MkIV.5 trailer, I have hauled about 600lbs of dog food in one case, and an upright piano in another. If the trailer were built as a bigger reconfigurable box (the MkV will be, if I ever need it enough to make it), then I could carry quite a bit of stuff, including some stuff that would be equivalent to larger packages.

I'm sure a system designed specifically around the delivery concept would be more capable than mine (which has been a series of somewhat haphazard experimental incremental changes).

One advantage is actually being able to park it while unloading. For a normal delivery van that has to keep finding the next parking spot, that's a big deal in a crowded city.

Here in my area, I see all sorts of delivery vehicles that simply stop where they are to unload, even in "no stopping, standing, or parking" zones clearly marked as such, regardless of it's effect on traffic or the danger they place themselves and others in. Most respect where they are and operate safely...but more than enough that don't. The trucks that deliver to Castles'n'Coasters up here on Metro Parkway generally are some of the worst I've seen; the only ones consistently worse are Rent-a-Center trucks (though there are numerous individuals in every delivery company that are pretty bad).

I see the need for possible dual disc front brake for the USPS delivery e-trike.

With the load on the rear, the rear wheels will be able to do pretty heavy braking, possibly even better than the front. (depends on if they have a suspension system or not, and how it operates in load transfer)

 

[99t4]

Concept has been around a hundred years...