7 ms·

Marques Brownlee did a great review of the van recently that's worth a watch, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGrKVpYj_y4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGrKVp

by kypro 3y ago

Marques Brownlee did a great review of the van recently that's worth a watch, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGrKVpYj_y4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGrKVpYj_y4 It's incredible how much thought they put into them.

smithcoin 3y ago
Doug Demuro also has a very in depth review I highly recommend: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWCqJl0BEs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWCqJl0BEs
- notatoad 3y ago
  there's also this 20 minute video from an actaul amazon driver, not a car reviewer, which is pretty cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TFz1xqp3us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TFz1xqp3us
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
KennyBlanken 3y ago
Maybe the people at Amazon working on the design were under performance measuring so demanding they have to pee into bottles under their desks, like the drivers are. Strange how UPS can afford to pay their drivers almost twice minimum wage...to over $100k/year. And give them time to take breaks for necessary bodily functions.
- greedo 3y ago
  Aren't UPS drivers unionized? I know they were back when I was a young punk...
  - disillusioned 3y ago
    Yes, they're part of the Teamsters, which is who negotiated the most recent compensation increase.
mikeryan 3y ago
As a happy Rivian R1T owner and a “product guy” I’ve been really impressed with what they’ve done from a product perspective. The truck is awesome. You can tell they spent the time from initial prototyping to getting to production just hammering on it from a product perspective. Most of its issues I’ve had are things that are going to take time and data to fine tune (it’s PAAK sensing for unlocking with your phone is a common complaint). My biggest issue is the lack of CarPlay/Android auto. And the only real pain point there is the bad traffic data for routing. I still use my phone to get directions on anything that would be traffic impacted.
- kevinventullo 3y ago
  You had me seriously considering one until mentioning the lack of CarPlay. Maps are hard! Car manufacturers should leave it to the professionals.
  - sircastor 3y ago
    > Maps are hard! Car manufacturers should leave it to the professionals. I hate this sentiment. This kind of thinking essentially says that anyone whose primary product isn't software should not be writing software. And what it's really saying is "If you're not FANG, you have no business writing write software" Full Disclosure: I worked in infotainment writing software for several years.
    - troupo 3y ago
      > This kind of thinking essentially says that anyone whose primary product isn't software should not be writing software In the absolutely vast majority of cases yes, they shouldn't write their own software. Especially user-facing software. > Full Disclosure: I worked in infotainment writing software for several years. I've yet to see one that doesn't count as an unmitigated disaster
    - kevinventullo 3y ago
      I was thinking specifically about routing. Making a competitive state-of-the-art routing app requires a massive investment which most car manufacturers are unwilling to make. You don’t have to be FANG, there are companies like Waze and TomTom which do this. But, yeah looking more broadly, this is one of many issues which become a solved problem with CarPlay and Android Auto. The investment in smartphone functionality will always be orders of magnitude larger than whatever car manufacturers can build. E.g. I can choose which routing app I use! By the way, I have worked for non-dominant FANGs in this space who also did not want to make that kind of investment. There’s a reason Facebook and Amazon don’t have their own routing apps.
catlover76 3y ago
Very cool. No rear-view mirror tho--is that legal?
- disillusioned 3y ago
  Of course it is, no box trucks have center-mounted rear view mirrors; what would they look at? NHTA/DOT requires two rear-facing mirrors, which requirement is met by the side mirrors.
- ClassyJacket 3y ago
  There are loads of vans and trucks that don't have a rear window to see thru at all. I can't imagine rear view mirrors are a legal requirement for vans anywhere on Earth.
  - catlover76 3y ago
    Surprising!
    - troupo 3y ago
      Why is it surprising? How do you imagine a rear view mirror would work in a van/truck?
    - kube-system 3y ago
      I think the strictest laws in the US require a total of two rear-facing mirrors. (Some states allow vehicles with only one mirror) So, two side mirrors count. Back in the early 90s you could buy new cars that came with only a driver side mirror and an interior rear-view mirror -- the passenger side mirror was an option!
      - buildsjets 3y ago
        Yes. I had to install one on a Volvo 760 wagon that came without. Also installed a center-mounted stop light for it as those were still optional/just being introduced.
akira2501 3y ago
> It's incredible how much thought they put into them. Yea.. just ask any auto body shop charged with repairing them. :|
contrarian1234 3y ago
Surprising that the battery is charged in the vehicle and not swapped. You drastically cut down on the number of hours/miles you can use it per week. They say they charge it overnight, when they could potentially have a second shift use the vehicles. A gasoline/LNG taxi you can easily have 2-3 shifts
- makeva 3y ago
  Customers rarely want their packages delivered at 2am
  - contrarian1234 3y ago
    Are packages delivered only in the evening when people are (maybe) at home?
  - philwelch 3y ago
    Amazon does do overnight deliveries at 2am sometimes! Its handy if you aren’t worried about nocturnal porch pirates because you can just get up in the morning and find your package waiting for you.

by kypro 3y ago

smithcoin 3y ago

Doug Demuro also has a very in depth review I highly recommend: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWCqJl0BEs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWCqJl0BEs

notatoad 3y ago
there's also this 20 minute video from an actaul amazon driver, not a car reviewer, which is pretty cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TFz1xqp3us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TFz1xqp3us

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

KennyBlanken 3y ago

Maybe the people at Amazon working on the design were under performance measuring so demanding they have to pee into bottles under their desks, like the drivers are. Strange how UPS can afford to pay their drivers almost twice minimum wage...to over $100k/year. And give them time to take breaks for necessary bodily functions.

greedo 3y ago
Aren't UPS drivers unionized? I know they were back when I was a young punk...
- disillusioned 3y ago
  Yes, they're part of the Teamsters, which is who negotiated the most recent compensation increase.

mikeryan 3y ago

As a happy Rivian R1T owner and a “product guy” I’ve been really impressed with what they’ve done from a product perspective. The truck is awesome. You can tell they spent the time from initial prototyping to getting to production just hammering on it from a product perspective. Most of its issues I’ve had are things that are going to take time and data to fine tune (it’s PAAK sensing for unlocking with your phone is a common complaint). My biggest issue is the lack of CarPlay/Android auto. And the only real pain point there is the bad traffic data for routing. I still use my phone to get directions on anything that would be traffic impacted.

kevinventullo 3y ago
You had me seriously considering one until mentioning the lack of CarPlay. Maps are hard! Car manufacturers should leave it to the professionals.
- sircastor 3y ago
  > Maps are hard! Car manufacturers should leave it to the professionals. I hate this sentiment. This kind of thinking essentially says that anyone whose primary product isn't software should not be writing software. And what it's really saying is "If you're not FANG, you have no business writing write software" Full Disclosure: I worked in infotainment writing software for several years.
  - troupo 3y ago
    > This kind of thinking essentially says that anyone whose primary product isn't software should not be writing software In the absolutely vast majority of cases yes, they shouldn't write their own software. Especially user-facing software. > Full Disclosure: I worked in infotainment writing software for several years. I've yet to see one that doesn't count as an unmitigated disaster
  - kevinventullo 3y ago
    I was thinking specifically about routing. Making a competitive state-of-the-art routing app requires a massive investment which most car manufacturers are unwilling to make. You don’t have to be FANG, there are companies like Waze and TomTom which do this. But, yeah looking more broadly, this is one of many issues which become a solved problem with CarPlay and Android Auto. The investment in smartphone functionality will always be orders of magnitude larger than whatever car manufacturers can build. E.g. I can choose which routing app I use! By the way, I have worked for non-dominant FANGs in this space who also did not want to make that kind of investment. There’s a reason Facebook and Amazon don’t have their own routing apps.

catlover76 3y ago

Very cool. No rear-view mirror tho--is that legal?

disillusioned 3y ago
Of course it is, no box trucks have center-mounted rear view mirrors; what would they look at? NHTA/DOT requires two rear-facing mirrors, which requirement is met by the side mirrors.
ClassyJacket 3y ago
There are loads of vans and trucks that don't have a rear window to see thru at all. I can't imagine rear view mirrors are a legal requirement for vans anywhere on Earth.
- catlover76 3y ago
  Surprising!
  - troupo 3y ago
    Why is it surprising? How do you imagine a rear view mirror would work in a van/truck?
  - kube-system 3y ago
    I think the strictest laws in the US require a total of two rear-facing mirrors. (Some states allow vehicles with only one mirror) So, two side mirrors count. Back in the early 90s you could buy new cars that came with only a driver side mirror and an interior rear-view mirror -- the passenger side mirror was an option!
    - buildsjets 3y ago
      Yes. I had to install one on a Volvo 760 wagon that came without. Also installed a center-mounted stop light for it as those were still optional/just being introduced.

akira2501 3y ago

> It's incredible how much thought they put into them. Yea.. just ask any auto body shop charged with repairing them. :|

contrarian1234 3y ago

Surprising that the battery is charged in the vehicle and not swapped. You drastically cut down on the number of hours/miles you can use it per week. They say they charge it overnight, when they could potentially have a second shift use the vehicles. A gasoline/LNG taxi you can easily have 2-3 shifts

makeva 3y ago
Customers rarely want their packages delivered at 2am
- contrarian1234 3y ago
  Are packages delivered only in the evening when people are (maybe) at home?
- philwelch 3y ago
  Amazon does do overnight deliveries at 2am sometimes! Its handy if you aren’t worried about nocturnal porch pirates because you can just get up in the morning and find your package waiting for you.