Automotive

FedEx takes delivery of first electric vans from GM's BrightDrop

FedEx takes delivery of first electric vans from GM's BrightDrop
FedEx has taken delivery of the first electric logistics vans from GM's BrightDrop
FedEx has taken delivery of the first electric logistics vans from GM's BrightDrop
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The electric EV600 has a range of 250 miles
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The electric EV600 has a range of 250 miles
BrightDrop delivers the first five of 500 electric light commercial vehicles to FedEx, the first customer to the receive the EV600s, which are the fastest built vehicles, from concept to market, in General Motors history. Photo courtesy of FedEx
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The EV600 is the first production vehicle from BrightDrop
FedEx has taken delivery of the first electric logistics vans from GM's BrightDrop
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FedEx has taken delivery of the first electric logistics vans from GM's BrightDrop
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Back in January, General Motors launched a new spin-off named BrightDrop centered on electric last-mile logistics vehicles, and has now completed its first delivery, less than twelve months later. The company's EV600s have been handed off to FedEx who will put them to work along its growing charging network in California.

The EV600 is the first production vehicle from BrightDrop and is actually the fastest to go from concept to commercialization in GM's history. The all-wheel-drive van offers 600 cubic feet (17 cubic meters) of cargo space and is built around GM's flat-packaged, 20-module Ultium battery, which affords it up to 250 miles (400 km) of driving range.

BrightDrop delivered the first five of an order of 500 light electric commercial vehicles to FedEx last week, who will integrate them into its operations in California. The vans will be housed in and operated out of a facility in Inglewood, and will keep on the move by tapping into the company's network of 500 charging stations across the state.

The electric EV600 has a range of 250 miles
The electric EV600 has a range of 250 miles

FedEx is moving towards more sustainable operations in a number of ways, having previously deployed zero-emission delivery vans developed by Workhorse and Smith Electric Vehicles, to list a couple of examples. It is also exploring the use of autonomous robots and self-driving delivery pods, as it aspires for carbon neutral global operations by 2040.

“The delivery of the first BrightDrop EV600s is a historic moment, born out of a spirit of collaboration between two leading American companies,” said Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx. “At FedEx, transforming our pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles is integral to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals announced earlier this year. This collaborative effort shows how businesses can take action to help usher in a lower-emissions future for all.”

Source: FedEx

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5 comments
5 comments
paul314
All delivery vehicles that do less than 200 miles a day should be electric. Way sooner rather than later.
WillyDoodle
Hard to believe anyone associated with GM pulled this off, but congrats. EVs are perfectly suited for last mile delivery with relatively low full day range requirements, stop and go service conditions that leverage regenerative braking and a fleet across which to spread the costs of whatever proprietary charging assets are necessary for day time top-ups or overnight full charges.
Dave X
First to market---in so many ways. Congrats, GM. Looking forward to more EV-Ds (Electric Vehicle-Delivery) on the road.
BlueOak
5 vehicles “delivered”, yes record time, especially for a legacy auto company. Clearly GM recognized its shortcomings by spinning off this effort.

However, contradicting… GM claims production will not commence until 2022 and 2023, depending on model. So what did they “deliver” here? Hand built pre-production test mules? Are these “deliveries” officially federally certified and licensed (not “M” / “Manufacturer” plates) or are they headed for the crusher after using them?
Jim Tucholski
Well let's see how these hold up, that the big question, we are talking about GM we know how there track record is when to comes to reliability.