BrightDrop, GM’s electric delivery and logistics unit, today delivered the first five of 500 EV600 electric vans ordered by FedEx.
Adding all-electric vehicles to the FedEx fleet is an important step in the company’s goal to operate an all-electric, zero-emission global pick-up and delivery (PUD) fleet 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. At FedEx, transforming our pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles is integral to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals announced earlier this year.”
Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx
The BrightDrop EV600 vans were delivered to FedEx’s subsidiary FedEx Express, one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, which plans for 50% of its global PUD vehicle purchases to be electric by 2025, rising to 100% by 2030.
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BrightDrop’s boss Travis Katz is confident it will help FedEx achieve these ambitious goals.
“As eCommerce continues to grow, BrightDrop is thrilled to partner with FedEx in our mission to dramatically reduce vehicle emissions from delivery and deliver a brighter future for all of us. FedEx has ambitious sustainability goals, and the speed with which we brought the first BrightDrop electric vehicles to market shows how the private sector can innovate and help bring solutions for some of our biggest climate- and emissions-related challenges.”
Travis Katz, President and CEO of BrightDrop
He added that the EV600 is “the fastest built vehicle, from concept to market, in GM’s history,” being developed in only 20 months.
Designed for deliveries, the BrightDrop EV600 is powered by the Ultium battery platform, offering an estimated range of up to 250 miles (402 km) on a full charge. The vehicle is purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services, offering more than 600 cubic feet (17 cubic meters) of cargo area.
To support the new electric fleet, FedEx is building charging infrastructure across its network of facilities, including 500 charging stations it has already installed across California. The company says it is also working with utility companies to help evaluate and determine the capacity needed for electrical grids to support such charging infrastructure.