General Motors has announced a new EV van to be released this year as part of a new business focusing on delivery and logistics with FedEx Express its very first customer.
The company, named BrightDrop, will produce the electric light commercial EV600 which will be on roads by late 2021.
It is also launching an electric pallet, the EP1, to be available in early 2021.
BrightDrop also offers an integrated cloud-based software platform which provides customers visibility and access to their products through both web and mobile interfaces.
“BrightDrop offers a smarter way to deliver goods and services,” GM chairman and chief executive Mary Barra says.
“We are building on our significant expertise in electrification, mobility applications, telematics and fleet management, with a new one-stop-shop solution for commercial customers to move goods in a better, more sustainable way,” she says.
The EV600 will be powered by GM’s Ultium battery system and will have an estimated range of around 400 kilometres on a full charge.
Peak charge rate will be up to 273km of EV range per hour via 120kW DC fast charging.
The EV van will also come with a range leading safety technology such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, HD rear vision camera and more.
GM says early customer interest in the EV600 has been strong, with the first vehicles to be delivered by the end of this year. BrightDrop expects to make the EV600s available to more customers to order starting in early 2022.
The company estimates that by 2025, the combined market opportunity for parcel, food delivery and reverse logistics in the US will be over $850 billion.
According to the World Economic Forum, demand for urban last-mile delivery, fuelled by e-commerce, is expected to grow by 78% by 2030, leading to a 36% increase in delivery vehicles in the world’s top 100 cities. At the same time, this increase in demand is expected to cause delivery-related carbon emissions to rise by nearly one-third.
Meanwhile, BrightDrop’s first product to market, the EP1, will be a propulsion-assisted, electric pallet developed to easily move goods over short distances such as from the delivery vehicle to the customer’s front door.
FedEx Express is the first customer of BrighDrop’s integrated solution and has already completed an EP1 pilot programme.
During the pilot, FedEx Express couriers were able to “effectively and safely” handle 25% more packages per day with the EP1s, the company says.
FedEx Express couriers shared feedback that the EP1s were easy to maneuver and reduced physical strain.
FedEx Express is also set to be the first customer of the EV600, receiving their vehicles later this year.
“Our need for reliable, sustainable transportation has never been more important,” says Richard Smith, FedEx Express regional president of the Americas and executive vice president of global support.
“BrightDrop is a perfect example of the innovations we are adopting to transform our company as time-definite express transportation continues to grow.
“With this new suite of products, we will help improve the safety, security and timeliness of FedEx Express deliveries, while reducing our environmental impact and protecting the well-being of our couriers,” Smith says.
BrightDrop operations
Travis Katz has joined BrightDrop as president and chief executive from venture capital firm Redpoint Ventures where he was an entrepreneur-in-residence.
Katz has an extensive background as a technology leader, entrepreneur and investor.
“This, combined with his track record of scaling global businesses, will help BrightDrop further GM’s vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” the company says.
BrightDrop will initially serve customers in the US and Canada. It will have a customer support team to assist with every aspect of operating and servicing BrightDrop products, including supporting charging and infrastructure installation, advising on upfitting services, and retrofitting a current fleet vehicle to integrate with BrightDrop products.
BrightDrop support services will also assist with maintenance needs, including securing parts and scheduling repairs.
Customers will connect with BrightDrop through an independent sales and service network, leveraging a newly established BrightDrop dealer network to support vehicle sales and service.
*Go to gobrightdrop.com for more information.
