Grumman KurbWatt: The Long Forgotten Electric Mail Truck That Almost Changed Everything

Without the benefit of hindsight, Grumman Olson decided the only solution was to offer a panel truck with an all-electric drivetrain.

Dubbed the KurbWatt, Grumman Olson submitted their design proposal to the USPS in 1980, the same year the vehicle entered production.

Indeed, it was the KurbWatt, not the LLV, which was the first corporate collaboration between Grumman Olson and the USPS, which only began production in 1987. Though smaller than the LLV, the similarity in appearance between it and the KurbWatt is still uncanny.

It was hoped the use of an all-electric drivetrain could save up to 500,000 gallons of fuel per year compared to the outgoing rear-wheel-drive Jeep DJ.