BrightDrop EV600 Will Be Available With Front-Wheel Drive: Exclusive
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The upcoming BrightDrop EV600 all-electric delivery van will be available with a front-wheel drivetrain, as well as a single-motor setup and 24-module battery pack, GM Authority has learned from sources close to the matter.
For the moment, General Motors has only confirmed that the BrightDrop EV600 would be equipped with all-wheel drive and two electric motors, a 20-module battery, and an estimated driving range of up to 250 miles per charge, plus a peak charging rate of 170 miles per hour via DC quick-charging. Motivation will be sourced via GM Ultium battery and drive motor technology.
General Motors first announced its new BrightDrop electric product ecosystem earlier this year at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show, with the new venture providing last-mile electric delivery solutions, software, and services for delivery and logistics companies. GM expects the demand for urban last-mile delivery to grow by 78 percent between now and 2030, with growth driven primarily by e-commerce shopping.
So far, General Motors has officially announced that the BrightDrop EV600 will feature more than 600 cubic feet of cargo room, as well as a GVWR of less than 10,000 pounds. Access to the cabin and rear cargo will be provided via front sliding pocket doors, wide cabin walkways, and a large cargo bulkhead door that will automatically open. The cargo area will also be kept secure via onboard motion sensors.
In terms of technology, the BrightDrop EV600 will be replete with advanced safety and convenience features, including Front and Rear Parking Assist, Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator, and Front Pedestrian Braking, among others. Further safety features will be offered as optional upgrades, while in the cabin, the driver will have a 13.4-inch full-color infotainment screen for control.
So far, customer interest in the BrightDrop EV600 has been strong, including from FedEx, which is slated to receive the first units of the delivery van, and even featured the EV600 in a commercial over the summer. Full-scale production is set to ramp up at the GM CAMI plant in Ontario, Canada next year.
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it is because there is no mountain to climb in USA, all flat
a Truck with heavy Loads backyards would drive as a goat
No Mountain to climb?? LOLOLOLOLOL
What a bunch of idiots. It doesn’t have rwd because of the economies of scale. THINK! If they have to have awd, and you want to have a 2wd variant for non-snow areas, you only need ONE front suspension setup if you use fwd. If you made it rwd, you would need a whole different front suspension geometry, probably cheaper because of less parts, but more in the long run because you have to develop TWO different front suspensions. They can afford to do this to the customer because no one is seeking the performance attributes of rwd in a vehicle like this. This is purely based on economies of scale, simplicity, durability. Think of this the same way you would think of military/police weapons, built to meet a certain standard and that is it. The military/police doesn’t get fancy engraved revolvers with wood grips, they get cheap plastic pistols, mostly in 9mm and 40 cal.
well for me USA is Florida so, in Palm Beach fits nice that, otherwise do not know in Grand Canyon…
You live next to Georgia you have access to Mountains… have you forgotten about the Appalachians? LOL
FWD Michigan mindset strikes again!. It only worked for the Promaster because that’s what FCA had to work with. OTOH I’d believe a rwd ice drivetrain van would continue for GM.
This is an electric vehicle. FWD or RWD really doesn’t have any meaning from a development standpoint. They can put the motor in either or both locations. It comes down to handling, cost, and range.
But the mindset with many is that an EV commercial van must be rwd with a focus on 0-60 performance under 3.0 seconds. If not accomplished, it’s all Mary’s fault and she is overpaid and must be fired.
Done and Done.
So if cost isn’t a concern why is it fwd?, it doesn’t have to be a road performance star but it’s no advantage of being fwd either.
It does provide better handling in low traction situations since the wheels that are powered are also the wheels that are steering. Also from an assembly standpoint, it’s easier to build because all the mechanicals are upfront. The rear becomes just a simple axle and suspension.
Having it RWD provides no inherent benefit in a delivery truck but complicates the assembly, and handling could be compromised somewhat.
Sounds like a Detroiter, it’s an EV (no driveshaft, rear differential, etc) it’s no assembly advantage of fwd whatsoever..
FWD in an EV Van is cheaper to build, and easier to set up the line. Less parts, less complexity, less weight, and if the customer wants AWD, you just add the booster motor to the rear. GM already designed a small lightweight booster motor which will be coming on the front of the C8 E-Ray.
One thing that worries me about this though, on the future EV crossovers I hope GM does not fall in love with the FWD layout, because in crossovers all the competitors have gone RWD in their EV’s and there is a handling benefit to RWD. VW ID4 RWD, Ioniq 5 RWD, Tesla Model Y RWD, Mach E RWD , etc etc… FWD is dead in EV crossovers going forward with the exception of the Leaf-Bolt class.
The Lyriq is RWD with an AWD option.
Ya, Lyriq looks good to me, other than being too heavy and no Frunk. I worry about the upcoming Equinox EV which competes in that Model Y, ID4, Ioniq 5 segment, if GM makes it FWD, and all the competition is RWD bias, there is a big falloff in sportiness, which is primarily the driver to EV’s in the first place is the instant throttle response, and sporty chassis. GM needs to learn from Tesla, if you build the best people will line up for miles to pay $60K to get one. I paid $49K for my Model Y a year ago, and can sell it for $65K now.. crazy…
Just the other day people were complaining about RWD vehicles. No one is ever happy. LOL
You missed the part that AWD will be available too?
Still think this would be a great platform for a internal combustion engine- like the P series back in the day
I want one to turn into an EV.
Does anybody know what they plan on doing for us rural folks that are not ready—or the infrastructure is not ready for these vehicles.
But we still need Vans to move passengers.
no worry, nobody needs to eat potato or milk or corn from lowlands,,, it is already 2035 remember
human like robots EV
Sam:
Where does it say that gas powered delivery vans will no longer be built?
Where does it say they will be?
This article is strictly EV.
An earlier article stated ICE Van production is projected to end in 2025.
Why is everyone so pressed that this fleet delivery vehicle isn’t rwd. It’s cheaper, better in bad weather, and better for real packaging for it to be fwd
it’s a comment section… people will complain about anything.
And people will complain about others complaining
and all get dislikes like me, and few likes, maybe the top record for up likes was 49 in Idiotiq to a guy
What a waste. An all new Express Van would have been far more profitable.
Profitable only if there are people that will buy it. EVs in the fleet space makes a lot of sense due to maintenance cost over their life. Even if they cost more initially the running cost are a lot lower.
Any thought on putting a solar panel roof on this and making a camper conversion? Even adding 10mi of range per day could be useful in a camping type situation.
Like I said from Day One….GM Hit a Grand Slam with BrightDrop