General Motors plans to launch a new all-electric van, the EV600, by the end of this year. The first 500 vehicles are sold to FedEx.
GM
General Motors said Tuesday it plans to launch a fully electric van called the EV600 this year.
The van – part of GM’s plan to invest $ 27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025 – will be the first vehicle under a new GM commercial business unit called BrightDrop. According to Pam Fletcher, vice president of global innovation who will oversee the new division, the EV600 will be able to reach up to 250 miles per charge.
“BrightDrop’s game changer is that it’s a one-stop-shop ecosystem,” said Fletcher. “BrightDrop can help with the deliveries that fleets need from start to finish.”
Fletcher declined to discuss pricing and other details, but she said BrightDrop products will be sold through a new independent sales and service network. She said GM has a full line of electrical products planned for BrightDrop, not just vehicles.
The first 500 vans will go to FedEx early this year, Fletcher said. A wider availability of the vans is expected at the beginning of 2022. The EV600 is the first commercial vehicle to feature GM’s latest generation Ultium battery system, on which the carmaker has spent billions as the basis for future EVs.
The first product of GM’s BrightDrop will be the EP1, an electric propulsion pallet designed to easily transport goods over short distances – for example, from the van to the customer’s front door.
GM
The commercial market is expected to be an important growth area for electric vehicles. Other start-up automakers such as Rivian, backed by Amazon, and older automakers such as Ford Motor and Daimler, have announced plans to enter the segment. GM estimates that the combined market opportunities for parcel, food delivery, and return logistics in the US will exceed $ 850 billion by 2025.
The EV600 will be the second product under the new BrightDrop brand. The first will be a propulsion-assisted electric pallet, the EP1, Fletcher said. It has been developed to easily transport goods over short distances – for example from the van to the customer’s front door. It is expected to go on sale early this year, Fletcher said.
“Interest in these products has been tremendous,” said Fletcher. A pilot program of the pallets with FedEx last year found that drivers were able to deliver 25% more packages per day, she said. The pallets, like all of the company’s products, will be electric and will have connectivity and tracking functions for logistics purposes.
BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz, who joined the carmaker from venture capital firm Redpoint Ventures this month, said the company’s mission is to develop a new line of “intelligent, connected products and services” to help commercial businesses improve efficiency. and improve worker safety.
The first vehicle of GM’s BrightDrop will be the EV600 – an electric light commercial vehicle purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services with a range of up to 250 miles per charge.
GM