The United States Postal Service is reviewing bids for America's new mail truck this summer, but we here at Jalopnik have already done the hard work for them. You're welcome, USPS.
10.) Jeep Renegade
Like the soon to be departed Grumman LLV, the Renegade is small, affordable, relatively fuel efficient, and rugged. Jeep just needs to extend the wheelbase, take out the back seats, raise the roof, gloss over the fact that it isn't made in the US, and they'll have a great shot at being the next mail truck.
Suggested By: XYCromersome, Photo Credit: Jeep
9.) Self Driving Car
Maybe this wouldn't work everywhere, but in the right setting a self driving car would be perfect for mail delivery. All it'd have to do is follow the lines of the street and stop at mailboxes.
Plus, it'll be useful in the development of electric cars for more advanced uses.
Suggested By: As Du Volant, Photo Credit: Google
8.) Ford F-150 Raptor
The USPS is looking for a more fuel efficient truck, so how convenient is it that Ford just debuted the next Raptor with a smaller, more fuel efficient EcoBoost V6? Very convenient!
Nothing would get in the way of mail being delivered on time if all mail trucks were Raptors.
Suggested By: Scary, Photo Credit: Ford
7.) Ram Promaster
Any new large van like the Ford Transit or the Mercedes-Benz Freightliner Sprinter would work well here, but I'll give the nod to the Promaster since I find humor in the potential that a bunch of rebadged Fiats could be America's next mail trucks.
Oh, and it's space efficient and can be had with a diesel, etc.
Suggested By: Jay_Hoff, Photo Credit: Ram
6.) A Drone
I don't see drones replacing trucks entirely, but they could be an interesting way to augment a fleet of trucks. They would reduce the amount of cargo a truck would need to carry, meaning the trucks could be smaller and thus less expensive to run.
Suggested By: melikecars, Photo Credit: Getty Images
5.) UPS Hybrid Hydraulic Truck
UPS knows a thing or two about efficiency, so the USPS should take a close look at the hybrid trucks they use. Their trucks use a diesel engine and hydraulics to store energy like batteries in a conventional hybrid car. Very trick stuff.
Suggested By: Bueller, Photo Credit: Getty Images
4.) Tesla
The Model S and the upcoming Model X wouldn't fit the bill, however, Tesla could easily add a customized body on top of their skateboard-like platform to make an excellent mail truck.
Mail delivery is a perfect application for an electric vehicle, since mail trucks don't go long distances and spend so much time idling.
Suggested By: DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane, Photo Credit: Tesla via Jalopnik
3.) Jeep Wrangler
A Wrangler predecessor was used by the USPS as a mail truck for many years, and they currently use right hand drive Wranglers as mail carriers in rural areas.
All Jeep would need to do is drop a more fuel efficent engine in the RHD wrangler, and lengthen the wheelbase. The USPS would be rewarded with many coolness points for their Wrangler usage.
Suggested By: Arch Duke Maxyenko, SHAZAM!, Photo Credit: Jeep
2.) Ford Transit Connect with C-Max Drivetrain
So Ford has a lovely new small commercial van which is the perfect size for the USPS, and a car with an efficient hybrid drivetrain. Combine the two, and you've got an excellent mail truck.
Suggested By: Scrape, Photo Credit: Ford
1.) Freightliner-Badged Unimog
Mercedes' Unimog is one of the most versatile, tough truck platforms ever made. The USPS could turn it into whatever crazy, go-anywhere mail truck they want and stick one of MB's great diesels in it to make the taxpayers happy.
Of course, they'd need to replace all the three pointed stars with Freightliner badges, because god forbid the post office doesn't buy American.
Suggested By: detailer4u, Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Jalopnik reader Shiyal/Ford