Hardly we find something in the automobile world which we can genuinely call cute. Most vehicles are either design to be functional, aggressive looking or practical as a whole, but not cute by any margin. This time around there are genuinely cute vehicles, which are making people go “aww” around the internet.
Before UPS (International Delivery Company) takes all the credit for these cute delivery vans, we would like to mention that these vans first appeared as a mail delivery vans for the Royal Mail in red. However, the UPS versions look even more appealing in the chocolaty brown color and the golden UPS logo. You might ask what is the fuss all about then actually these are dinky 3.5-tonne Arrival Vans, which are fully electric and can do around 150miles per single charge which is a lot more than what an average van has to cover to deliver a package. The goal here is to reduce the carbon footprint left behind by the fossil fuel powered vans of the before for much safer and cleaner environment in the future.
These cutesy electric vans utilize a considerable amount of lightweight composite material which has made possible for 150+ miles of range for a 3.5-tonne vehicle. The news is that UPS was already working with “ARRIVAL” for over two years now to develop UPS specification vans. These vans are supposed to have a host of driver assist features to reduce driver fatigue, detect any irregularities in the driving style and even notice every single move of the driver for safety/security reason. So, these vans aren’t just cute but technologically advanced too.
If we talk about the design of these vehicles then right off the bat you will notice the huge windscreen in the front which is supposed to give amazing visibility to the driver of the outside world. Its very practical since the driver will be easy to detect the pedestrians, cyclist, and bikers on the road which often get ignored due to massive blindspots in modern vehicles. The wheels appear to be very small which also contribute greatly to the looks of these vans. However, nothing has been compromised when it comes to the toughness of these small tyres. Arrival states that,
“Most people will probably be too busy cooing over how cute the van is to remember that the front of it is probably still quite hard.”
Before you get too excited to see one in person especially if you live in the UK or Europe, then these electric vans are set to be tested first in London and Paris before the company makes a final decision. As of now, the company has planned to get both the 3.5-tonne and the massive 7.5-tonne variants if everything goes according to the plan. To realize the seriousness of this move, UPS has also placed an order for 125 Tesla Semi trucks earlier this year that we think is the right decision and will improve the overall efficiency of the company apart from environmental benefits.
