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It really depends on where you live. Rust will eat up your car in a lot of the world. All aluminum construction would mitigate a lot of that. When aluminum oxi

It really depends on where you live. Rust will eat up your car in a lot of the world. All aluminum construction would mitigate a lot of that. When aluminum oxidizes, it tends to form something hard, as opposed to flaky rust. Electric vehicles could be optimized for delivery fleet use with a highly modular construction and a smooth underbody. The modules could be removed for repair while a spare one is swapped in. (This is currently done with M1 Abrams tanks.) Electric drive-trains also require less maintenance, and the open cargo space of a delivery van can facilitate easy access to mechanicals even though the underbody has no openings.

jacquesm 8y ago
Aluminum is a lot more expensive to make, more expensive to make something out of and more expensive to repair than steel. It is lighter though, another considerable advantage when making a vehicle besides durability.
- stcredzero 8y ago
  For something on the scale of the USPS fleet, economies of scale would come into play. If such vehicles were very highly modular, all of the modules could be removed and placed into another frame and the old one recycled. (Come to think of it, this is also somewhat done with Abrams M1 tanks.)
- Retric 8y ago
  Aluminum is only ~2,300$ per metric ton, so the raw material cost is not that much of an issue. It’s material property’s is actually a significant issue as the cars vibration for example would likely cause cracks to form and propagate. PS: Ford is moving the F150 to aluminum adding ~500$ per vehicle but also saving weight. Which should net to zero via added fuel economy.
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kec 8y ago
That would be a terrible idea. Aluminum can only flex so much before the metal fatigues and fails catastrophically, steel does not (so long as the stress is below a critical threshold). Aluminum framed trucks would not last nearly as long.

jacquesm 8y ago

Aluminum is a lot more expensive to make, more expensive to make something out of and more expensive to repair than steel. It is lighter though, another considerable advantage when making a vehicle besides durability.

stcredzero 8y ago
For something on the scale of the USPS fleet, economies of scale would come into play. If such vehicles were very highly modular, all of the modules could be removed and placed into another frame and the old one recycled. (Come to think of it, this is also somewhat done with Abrams M1 tanks.)
Retric 8y ago
Aluminum is only ~2,300$ per metric ton, so the raw material cost is not that much of an issue. It’s material property’s is actually a significant issue as the cars vibration for example would likely cause cracks to form and propagate. PS: Ford is moving the F150 to aluminum adding ~500$ per vehicle but also saving weight. Which should net to zero via added fuel economy.

deleted 8y ago

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kec 8y ago

That would be a terrible idea. Aluminum can only flex so much before the metal fatigues and fails catastrophically, steel does not (so long as the stress is below a critical threshold). Aluminum framed trucks would not last nearly as long.