The BrightDrop EV600 delivery van will enter production at the GM CAMI Assembly plant in Southern Ontario later this year, but while we await the arrival of the new electric fleet vehicle, the GM Design team is providing us with a sneak peek into its design process.
GM Design shared a series of digital renderings of the BrightDrop EV600 on its Instagram page this week, which were completed by GM creative designer Brian Janik using the popular 3D computer graphics software Blender. The renderings show early design proposals for the BrightDrop EV600, which feature some small differences compared to the production model that will roll out of CAMI later this year.
“This week we are showcasing our new entry into electric delivery solutions with the Brightdrop brand,” the GM Design team said in the Instagram post. “The selected design direction (for the EV600) was built in Blender to quickly visualize the shape and proportion. Front end graphic refinement continued to define the horizontal light signature and lower fascia.”
The BrightDrop EV600 is powered by the GM Ultium battery system and has an estimated maximum real-world range of around 250 miles. The van, available with a GVWR of less than 10,000 pounds, offers over 600 cubic feet of cargo area and is intended as an eco-friendly fleet solution for logistics companies. FedEx has already placed an order for 500 examples of the battery-electric utility vans, while Merchants Fleet has also committed to purchasing more than 12,000 of them in the coming years.
The BrightDrop EV600 will also offer fleet upfitting solutions, so we will likely see the battery-electric platform underpin vehicles other than delivery vans in the future.
The first BrightDrop EV600 vans will be delivered to FedEx before the end of the year, with production set to ramp up significantly in early 2022.
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Comments
I want to see this in RV form. It is the perfect vanlife vehicle due to the size, gvwr and travel range.
I’m not an RV guy but I would think the 250 mile range (assuming you could get even get that range in a RV configuration) would really be a limiting factor. I think the range would have to be closer to 500 miles; something reasonable for a cross country trip.
It would need a small trailer to tow with a the extra range batteries in the trailer. Recharge at the electric campsite.
Probably a high watt ICE generator would be ideal.
Yeah but benefits of 110V power source directly from the vehicle itself without paying for the heavy equipment and have to carry them which is also eats from the mileage and takes a chunk of space, again it’s very precious in a RV, outweighs the extra 30 min stop.
If it’s going to behave like my electric car then the 250 range gets much shorter when out on the highway.
Great idea – I would almost bet an RV upfitter will convert these. It would be great if they range could be doubled for trips a little further from home and a 30- or 50 amp shore plug so you can charge while at campgrounds. You could travel the entire country without ever having to worry about range. It could also double as your daily driver!
The key for this will be the initial orders. Those 500 models for Fed Ex will be watched by many and if they live up to the hype they will bring many more orders.
The added things that are being worked on are 2 speed transmissions that will let GM put smaller batteries and motors in to help bring down the cost and not hurt performance or range. Just what fleets look for. Note a smaller battery also would charge faster.
Much is happening that the mainstream media is still not talking about.
They may want to check into the several EV transmissions in the works. It could really change the game.
Seems our power grid cannot handle the loads we have now. See what Texas and California have gone through this past year. Most people in California have purchased back up generators.
How can our power grid handle all the electric cars and trucks over the next few years everyone is making?
The recent issues were weather related and over night. Planning for additional fleets like this will be factored in and electric companies are planning to expand for them. Money is too be made so they will invest.
This is really about a 30 years transfer of technology so it will happen over time. The grid will be ready for it.
Much of the trouble in TX too is the lines being down. My firms one division has had to be on Generators as the lines were down. The power shortage is a part of this but damage is much more.
Engineering Explained just did a video covering this. You should watch it. Scaling the grid to meet growing EV demand is entirely feasible.
evs are just the start actually evs are low hanging fruit next residential based things to go will be fuel based heating and water heating I wonder if I will be able to heat my 1500 sq ft. home plus heat my water, dry my clothes and cook my food in the coldest wis. winter month for$75 plan that in the price of the grid plus changing all the industrial fueled equipment to electric and report how feasible it is.
I love the idea of the vehicles and I think it REALLY make sense for the delivery trucks as we move forward. The issue here is states like CA that have a collapsing power grid and only a small percentage (1%) of cars electrified. You need to generate energy by some means, consistently, and wind and solar do not do that. They are getting rid of their hydroelectric dams ( idiots) and will be even more dependent on other sources. The state of CA had rolling blackouts(grey outs) all summer and into this fall. In the fantasy land of these fools running the state, you dont need anything other than the cars, but if you dont have the grid, the ability to deliver it, and STABLE sources of energy to run them , it will not mean anything.
Stan K: Texas is not part of the national grid. They didn’t want to meet the requirements so in a crisis situation they can’t get power from a neighboring state. Also, as I understand it; many recommendations have been made to upgrade their infrastructure but there was no requirements that this be done. So, everything from gas lines, water lines to the wind turbines are not winterized; that would cost ERCOT, the primary Texas utility, money.
Now, I am not saying we do not need to upgrade our national infrastructure; but Texas is a special situation.
Driving around a large city it doesn’t take long to log 250 miles. Range will be an issue.
GM worked closely with FedEx to optimize the right range/price ratio. But if a customer needs more range GM can scale ultium to give them more range. So the experts seem to disagree with you.
Many city routes are well under 250 miles. It is the rural routes that may be longer.
This is why so many city routes now use Propane vs other fuels.
Solar roof would help extend the range. Obviously, flat on the roof is not the best angle for collection, but I bet you could get a decent amount of extra range during a day’s deliveries.
The solar roof might run the AC if it has it.
The cost and weight of solar is not really feasible for the small additional electric it would provide.
Getting the right battery and motor is the key. You want enough power to get the load there But not to the point it has so much power it uses more than needed. Matching needs to ability will be key.
This is the one area MFGs are looking at. The smaller motors and batteries can be more efficient but still deliver as much power as current ICE set up’s. Right sizing can lower cost with the smaller battery and motor.
Gearing also can come into play as well tuning trucks for what they haul. Say you have a truck that is built for Lays Potato chips. It may be full but it is not a heavy load. Smaller battery and motor could be a cheaper truck to buy and faster to charge.
The MFGs are a lot farther ahead on this stuff than the media is tell us. I just got as SAE Automotive magazine yesterday and it is amazing some of the things that are being worked on now.
I’m figuring that a 30 by 6 foot panel on the roof would produce about 3600 watts. I live in Florida where we get lots of sun. This is a retirement community and one truck spends almost the whole day running around in the community. No need to go 0 to 60 in 3 seconds, the truck is not moving almost as much as it moves. So, that is my reasoning that a solar panel on one of these trucks would really save charging time off the grid. …. Also considering what you said “right sizing is going to be the key.
That would not be working well here with little sun and 12” of snow.
I hope the whole roof is a “solar panel”. That would help with the millage issue.
if there is a power failure no package from fedex today.another expense with evs you are going to have to have a 200 amp service better get a 400 amp because fuel based heating is the next to go
I’m sure a company like FedEx would have existing generators in place in the event of an electric outage. But you do bring up a good point about the existing infrastructure. Certainly any company with a fleet of EVs will need to invest in power upgrades.
Again, thats great they set up their power but where and who is going to generate it. IT has to come from Somewhere. CA will not work at even 25% of all vehicles being electric in its current status. IT CANT. They have to shut the power down all over the state constantly cause there is not enough, they dont manage the forrest/wooded area and they fear fires, etc.
I think you are assuming that all 50 vans would be charging on the same grid. I’m not sure if thats the case.
budlar:
Every tried to pump fuel during a power failure?
first I live in wis.we have tornados but it is not tornado alley no hurricanes and my electric co. is one of the highest rated in the country for reliability,the last time I was without power for more than 2hrs was 20 years ago so if the power is out drive a bit and you will find power and I usually fuel at costco and bring home 25 gals. for at home refueling and usually have 25 gals.of non-ethanol around for my power equipment and atv so that is how I will pump fuel.
any existing back-up generator is not going to charge vehicles for 50 trucks you would need a 750,000 watt generator thats huge and you would need a 500 gal. tank of diesel that would need to be burnt off occasionally to be kept fresh.
You might be correct. Most certainly if you plan to use alot more energy to charge EVs you would also have to update any disaster recovery things such as backup generators. My guess is that FedEx will distribute these vans to multiple distribution centers, not all 50 at one location. I’m not sure how many distro centers FedEX has but if you put just a handful of vans at each location it would make it more manageable to upgrade systems for say 5 vans.
750 KW is nothing for Fedex….The telephone central office in Pvd has one room in the basement with a 750 AND a 1.25 meg.
The whole building has 4 Megawatts of backup
The only way to give an assurance of not ever running out of electric power is to use a 50 cc motorcycle engine running on clean, green 104 octane propane also known as LPG. The propane power unit can run non-stop, to keep the battery system under a constant charge. During the winter months, the heat from the gas engine can be used to keep the battery system warmer, meaning a much better battery performance.. Propane costs about half or even less than gasoline pump prices, plus propane continues the green image because it’s about 37 percent hydrogen. Remember at the freezing point of 32 F, a battery only has 50 percent of it’s normal charge, so the extra heat and electric power from the 50cc engine, will help the distance that the van can travel in the winter, from only 125 miles or half, to be closer to the target of 200 miles in the winter. Propane also weighs only 2/3 of the weight of diesel fuel, offsetting the extra weight of the thick steel propane tank.
BrightDrop is an excellent move by Barra and the GM team. Will make them Millions.
I am going to make a Bold Prediction. I think the USPS postponed deciding on their upcoming contact because GM told the incoming Administration they had a Vehicle coming that would meet all the needs they had. And it will be built in the US by Union Workers. I am predicting GM will be building these in the Future for the USPS. Some smaller versions as well.
I obviously could be 100% wrong. Just my prediction.