BrightDrop is expanding its operations internationally by manufacturing electric vans in Canada. The company also announced production of its BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric delivery van has started at GM’s CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, making it Canada’s first large-scale EV factory.
BrightDrop is also presenting its first launch customer in Canada: DHL Express Canada. By 2025, the site in Ingersoll is expected to be producing 50,000 electric carriers annually.
BrightDrop’s parent company GM is converting the factory into an electric vehicle factory in early 2021, with an investment of nearly $800 million. The Ingersoll plant is GM’s first Canadian electric vehicle plant.
Entering the Canadian market is BrightDrop’s latest attempt to tackle the $250 billion long-haul delivery industry, especially as companies around the world set goals to power their fleets and optimize operations.
In the US, BrightDrop has delivered 150 Zevo 600 electric vans to FedEx as of June 2022. The logistics company ordered a total of 2,500 Zevo 600 electric vans that will be delivered to FedEx over the next few years.
“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,” said Travis Katz, BrightDrop president and CEO. “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 carriers: Zevo 600 and Zevo 400, formerly known as EV600 and EV410. The vehicles are designed specifically for urban delivery traffic, with the Zevo 400 being smaller than the Zevo 600.
The 600 was based on GM’s Ultium platform and had a range of up to 400 kilometers (original: 250 miles). With a maximum DC charging power of up to 120 kW, it can charge up to 170 miles (274 kilometers) in one hour. GM quotes a cargo hold size of 600 cubic feet (nearly 17 cubic meters). The total weight is said to be around 4.5 tonnes.
