BrightDrop delivers the first 150 Zevo 600 to FedEx
In the USA, General Motors brand BrightDrop has delivered the first 150 Zevo 600 electric delivery vans to FedEx. These will be used by FedEx Express in Southern California. The logistics company is BrightDrop’s launch customer.
When the brand was launched in January 2021, its electric delivery van was named EV600 and FedEx was named as a customer. The delivery just made is part of a larger order for a total of 2,500 examples of the model, now called the Zevo 600, to be delivered over the next few years.
The Zevo 600 is based on GM’s Ultium platform, which is also the basis for models such as the GMC Hummer EV or the Cadillac Lyriq. BrightDrop’s electric delivery van comes with a range of up to 400 kilometres (250 miles). With its maximum DC charging power of up to 120 kW, it is said to be able to recharge 170 miles (274 kilometres) of electricity in one hour. GM quotes the size of the cargo space at 600 cubic feet (almost 17 cubic metres). The total weight is said to be around 4.5 tonnes.
FedEx calls the handover of the first 150 vehicles a milestone on its path to transitioning its entire package pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles by 2040. “At FedEx, we have ambitious sustainability goals, and our phased approach to vehicle electrification is a crucial part of our roadmap to achieve carbon-neutral global operations,” said Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx. “In just under six months, we’ve taken delivery of 150 BrightDrop Zevo 600s for our parcel pickup and delivery fleet. In today’s climate of chip shortages and supply chain issues, that’s no ordinary feat and a true testament to the collaboration between FedEx and BrightDrop.”
For its electric delivery trucks, FedEx has already built more than 500 charging stations at its California locations to be prepared for its growing e-fleet in the future. Here, FedEx is actively working with utilities to help determine energy needs and expand grids.
BrightDrop also has other large customers. Towards the end of last year, after already ordering 12,600 EV600s (now called Zevo 600), Merchants Fleet ordered 5,400 of the recently unveiled smaller EV410 offshoot.
In addition to the BrightDrop delivery truck, FedEx has also ordered 120 electric delivery vehicles from Xos, among others.
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