BrightDrop begins manufacturing electric transporter vans in Canada
The General Motors brand BrightDrop now also produces electric vans in Canada. Following the conversion of the plant in Ingersoll, the Zevo 600 will be produced there with immediate effect and the Zevo 400 from the end of 2023. BrightDrop also presents its first Canadian launch customer: DHL Express Canada.
By 2025, production at Ingersoll is expected to reach 50,000 electric transporters annually. Parent company GM initiated the conversion of the plant into a high-volume electric vehicle factory, which began in early 2021, with an investment of nearly $800 million. The Ingersoll plant in the Canadian province of Ontario is GM’s first Canadian electric vehicle plant. In parallel, the fledgling BrightDrop brand announces the start of commercial operations in Canada and presents its first Canadian customer, DHL Express Canada. However, the US company does not say how many vehicles DHL will take delivery of there.
In the USA, BrightDrop has already delivered the first 150 Zevo 600 (formerly EV600) electric vehicles to FedEx in June 2022. The delivery is part of a larger order from the logistics company for a total of 2,500 Zevo 600s, which are to be delivered to FedEx over the next few years. All told, 30 customers are now said to be lining up in the US, including Walmart, Hertz and Verizon. “These and other companies have contributed to more than 25,000 production reservations and expressions of interest in BrightDrop electric vans,” the company shares.
BrightDrop is now looking to generate demand in Canada as well. “Bringing BrightDrop to Canada and starting production at CAMI is a major step to providing EVs at scale, while delivering real results to the world’s biggest brands,” says Travis Katz, president and CEO of BrightDrop. “Our international expansion is proof that we can deliver exactly what our customers need where they need it. Having DHL Express Canada come onboard as a new customer shows the confidence legacy brands have in our ability to deliver.”
BrightDrop has so far introduced two electric transporters: the Zevo 600 and Zevo 400, previously known as the EV600 and EV410. The vehicles were designed specifically for urban delivery traffic, with the Zevo 400 being smaller than the Zevo 600.
The 600 is based on GM’s Ultium platform and has a range of up to 400 kilometres (original: 250 miles). With its maximum DC charging power of up to 120 kW, it should be possible to recharge 170 miles (274 kilometres) 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.
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