Members of the Local Unifor 88 union, which represents workers at the GM CAMI assembly plant in Ontario, have voted to ratify a new agreement to produce the BrightDrop EV600 delivery van.
Under the new agreement, GM will invest $787 million USD into the Ingersoll, Ontario-based plant in order to retool it to begin production of the electric delivery vehicle, which it unveiled during a CES presentation earlier this month.
Production of the BrightDrop EV600 will commence at the CAMI plant in November of this year. The southern Ontario facility currently produces the Chevrolet Equinox, although production of the crossover at the Canadian plant is set to be phased out in 2023.
“This is the result of collaboration with the Ontario and federal governments,and General Motors,” Unifor president Jerry Dias said in a prepared statement. “I want to thank them and the Local 88 Master Bargaining Committee for working so hard to secure jobs for our members and create new ones for this community.”
CAMI in Ingersoll, Ontario
The EV600 is the first mass-produced product from GM’s newly launched BrightDrop brand, which aims to provide electric vehicles, software solutions and other services to delivery and logistics companies. The purpose-built light commercial delivery van is powered by the GM Ultium modular battery system and can travel up to 250 miles on a full charge. The first batch of BrightDrop EV600 vans will go to FedEx, which will begin receiving the vehicles later this year. GM says it expects to make more of the EV600 vans available to customers other than FedEx starting in early 2022.
Under the newly ratified agreement, Local 88 members at CAMI will receive a five percent hourly wage increase, a $7,250 productivity and quality bonus, a total of $4,000 in inflation protection bonuses and improved benefits. Retooling work at the CAMI facility is expected to begin immediately.
Around 1,900 people currently work at the CAMI plant. Dias said he expects the employment levels to remain the same once full series production of the BrightDrop is underway next year. Despite this, there will be a temporary lay off and shut down period at the facility prior to the start of production of the BrightDrop EV600 in November, although the union did not say how long it expects the layoffs to last.
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Comments
This is a real good thing here as there are so few EV delivery vehicles and even fewer supported by a large company not struggling to survive on EV only.
The big thing many of these delivery company’s are pushing is low carbon foot prints. I could care less but many younger people really take this seriously.
The thing these companies don’t say is that they are looking at lower cost with no oil changes and other issues associated with ICE vehicles.
Imagine the UPS, FedEx, utility, bakeries, and so many more trucks these vehicles could replace.
A smaller version could be a new postal vehicle.
Lots of money to be made and lots of jobs for the plant. I could see double production than the Nox once they get going. Possibly more later.
Not sure why these aren’t built in Ohio since that’s where the Ultium battery packs are produced.
Canadians could make the same argument re: building the battery packs in Canada. The entire large vehicle is so much more than a battery pack. But they’re not. They support shared North American production. We all deserve a piece of the pie.
Lordstown is closed and gone. To refit the plant would have been much and it would still be an old over sized plant. Many forget how big the facility is and two thirds of it is gone and it is still was the largest facility in the US.
I would speculate that exports of this truck are easier from Canada too into other countries. This is not just a truck for NA but global.
Finally a product that is on it’s way to production the same year it’s introduced to the public. I hate when I get the vehicle info just to find out it’s still several years out.
Nikola seems to be the EV Company in limbo right now, it sucks to see Class 8 Big Rigs that could hold such potential to provide the power for delivery and other good services, only to be tossed around between one potential vendor to another; all because the Master Mind behind his trucks, has a clear vision for profit and deceit rather than putting forth the work to allow his trucks to have a solid foundation for promotion and eventually, mass production.
yes.
I am so excited and think GM hit a Grand Slam with this.
BrightDrop will in my humble opinion makes GM so much pure profit.
The Future belongs to whomever own and disburses Software that will keep Businesses moving.
Again I tip my Hat to Mary and the GM team.
Guess there are several ways to look at this, i understand ur excitement in the new ev vehicles. Just not sure its going to be good for all, or maybe its just gonna be good for gm. Think about it like this, no oil changes or less service intervals? Well thats gonna hurt local shops like parts houses, repair shops, or anyone who contributes to selling services or products to repair or service these vehicles. Now i know things change and we must adapt. It just seems to me that moving forward in the ways we currently are, well it just helps the haves and have nots will suffer the most. Great for gm, keeps factory jobs, helps unions, stock owners, dealerships and some local services i reckon(tire shops) . Maybe its good for all in some sort of way? Just not sure how its gonna be a good thing for certain trades or business who cant always adapt or have the money too.
A lot of businesses catering to horses and horse drawn carriages with the advent of the automobile. But for the society as a whole, it has been an advance.
Chain gangs and undocumented workers pulling carriages and rickshaws are a lot greener than any toxic battery Mary can come up with.
If liberals REALLY wanted a green transportation solution they would let us use chain gangs and illegals to pull rickshaws.
Can someone answer this simple question,with the new green deal how many degrees or tenths of a degree will the temperature be reduced?
Can someone answer this simple question with the green new deal how many degrees or tenths of a degree will the global temperature be reduced?