Ford-Utilimaster FFV
| Ford-Utilimaster Flexible Fuel Vehicle | |
|---|---|
 A 2000 FFV of the United States Postal Service, seen in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in August 2020. | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Utilimaster |
| Also called | USPS Mail truck |
| Production | 1999–2001 |
| Assembly |
|
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mail truck |
| Related | Ford Explorer |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4.0 L (244 cu in) Cologne V6 |
| Transmission | 5-speed Ford 5R55E automatic[1] |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Grumman LLV |
| Successor | Oshkosh NGDV |
The Ford-Utilimaster Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) is an American light transport truck model, designed as a mail truck for the United States Postal Service, which is its primary user. It was built as a partnership between Ford Motor Company, which supplies a stripped-down Ford Explorer chassis and drivetrain, and Utilimaster, which builds the aluminum body and integrates it with the chassis. The FFV can operate with either unleaded gasoline or E85 ethanol-blended fuel using Ford's 4.0L Cologne SOHC V6 engine.
The FFV is similar in appearance to and has the same purpose as the earlier Grumman LLV; it can be distinguished from the LLV by the presence of a cargo-area window behind the street-side sliding door of the FFV.
History
FFVs were acquired in 2000 and 2001 after the Energy Policy Act of 1992 went into effect, requiring that 75% of federal fleet acquisitions were alternative fuel vehicles in fiscal year 1999.[2]: 9 The per-unit cost of the FFV in 2001 was US$20,537 (equivalent to $36,500 in 2024).[2]: 12
The first FFV was completed on December 17, 1999.[3] The initial contract for 10,000 FFVs was completed in September 2000.[4] The total order was for 21,275 FFVs.[5] In 2010, the USPS owned 21,137 FFVs, compared to 141,319 LLVs.[2]: 12
Technical
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The right-hand drive Explorer chassis were built at Ford's St. Louis Assembly Plant, including an aluminum dash panel; the completed chassis were shipped to Utilimaster's Wakarusa, Indiana plant for final assembly.[1] The ladder frame chassis had a C-shaped cross section and six cross-members.[1] At 17 ft (5.2 m) long, it is approximately 2 ft (0.61 m) longer than an LLV.[6]
The FFV was equipped with a 3:55:1 final drive limited-slip rear axle, powered by the 4.0L Cologne V6 through a 5-speed automatic transmission. The engine had a peak output of 160 hp (120 kW) at 4,000 RPM and 225 lb⋅ft (305 N⋅m) at 2,750 RPM. It rides on 15 in (380 mm) steel wheels and LT195/75R15C tires.[1] At the time they were acquired, the only flexible fuel-capable engines were 6-cylinder types, which proved to be heavier and less fuel efficient than the 4-cylinder engines in the LLVs; in addition, E85 has less energy than gasoline, by volume, and it was estimated the USPS used 587,000 US gal (2,220,000 L) of E85 in fiscal year 2010 at a cost premium of US$135,700 (equivalent to $195,700 in 2024) compared to using gasoline vehicles.[2]: 19
The cargo-area window was added to improve visibility.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d "Ford Motor Company and Utilimaster Deliver For the United States Postal Service" (Press release). Ford Motor Company. 23 July 1999. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d United States Postal Service: Strategy Needed to Address Aging Delivery Fleet, GAO 11-386 (Report). United States Government Accountability Office. May 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Debut USPS vehicle". Nappanee Advance-News. December 22, 1999. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Landmark Reached in Production of New Postal Truck" (Press release). Utilimaster Corporation. September 22, 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Delivering the Goods". Industry Today. August 26, 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Appendix A: Mirror Adjustment Station" (PDF). Safe Driver Program, Handbook EL-804 (PDF) (Report). United States Postal Service. June 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
External links
