Photo: General Motors
General Motors has delivered the first batch of BrightDrop EV600 delivery vehicles to FedEx. These are the first five out of a total of 500 units, and FedEx is the first customer of the new EV from GM. This model set a new record within GM for the speed that it went from concept to market.
As you may be aware, Amazon bought delivery vehicles from Rivian, while FedEx signed with General Motors' unit. The BrightDrop company is a distinct business unit that works to provide “an integrated ecosystem of electric products, software, and services.”
The EV600 comes with Lithium-ion batteries from the Ultium platform, which will be seen in the Hummer EV. Each vehicle is expected to deliver (pun intended) a range of up to 250 miles (402 kilometers) on a single charge.
The cargo area has a 600 cubic-feet capacity (17 cubic meters), while the gross vehicle weight rating is less than 10,000 pounds (4.5 t). Since each delivery route is predetermined, the range should be enough to deliver everything for the day and ensure that the vehicle gets back to the warehouse for a recharge.
If necessary, each EV600 could be charged with up to 120 kW of power, which would mean that it would be able to gain up to 170 miles (274 km) of range in an hour, if it were connected to a DC charging station that can provide that level of power. In other words, these vans can also be employed to deliver parcels in two or more shifts.
The BrightDrop EV600 models will be used for last-mile deliveries. That means that regular consumers in the U.S. might get their next package delivered by someone driving one of these vehicles.
FedEx, the first customer for this all-new model, wants to operate a fleet of all-electric, zero-emission global Pickup and Delivery (PUD) vehicles by 2040. To get closer to that goal, the company has already decided on buying electric vehicles for half of its PUD fleet by 2025. By 2030, FedEx wants to only buy electric vehicles for Pickup and Delivery services.
The EV600 comes with Lithium-ion batteries from the Ultium platform, which will be seen in the Hummer EV. Each vehicle is expected to deliver (pun intended) a range of up to 250 miles (402 kilometers) on a single charge.
The cargo area has a 600 cubic-feet capacity (17 cubic meters), while the gross vehicle weight rating is less than 10,000 pounds (4.5 t). Since each delivery route is predetermined, the range should be enough to deliver everything for the day and ensure that the vehicle gets back to the warehouse for a recharge.
If necessary, each EV600 could be charged with up to 120 kW of power, which would mean that it would be able to gain up to 170 miles (274 km) of range in an hour, if it were connected to a DC charging station that can provide that level of power. In other words, these vans can also be employed to deliver parcels in two or more shifts.
The BrightDrop EV600 models will be used for last-mile deliveries. That means that regular consumers in the U.S. might get their next package delivered by someone driving one of these vehicles.
FedEx, the first customer for this all-new model, wants to operate a fleet of all-electric, zero-emission global Pickup and Delivery (PUD) vehicles by 2040. To get closer to that goal, the company has already decided on buying electric vehicles for half of its PUD fleet by 2025. By 2030, FedEx wants to only buy electric vehicles for Pickup and Delivery services.
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