Amazon appears to be trying out GM’s new BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric delivery van, with GM Authority spy photographers this week catching two of the vans parked at one of the online retail giant’s U.S. fulfillment centers.
These BrightDrop Zevo 600 vans were photographed by our sharp-eyed spies parked at Amazon’s Robotics Fulfillment Center in Pontiac, Michigan. This is an interesting sighting, as Amazon has not been publicly announced as a buyer of the Zevo 600. The company is a high-profile investor in Rivian and placed a purchase order for 100,000 examples of the EV start-up’s RCV Commercial Van in 2019, which is a direct competitor to the Zevo 600.
It’s possible Amazon is currently evaluating the Zevo 600 for its fleet. While the company is in line to receive thousands of Rivian commercial vans, Amazon is one of the largest companies in the world and will likely use a wide variety of electric delivery vans going forward as it looks to make its business more eco-friendly. The company announced in January that it had entered a partnership with Stellantis to purchase an untold number of its forthcoming electric Ram ProMaster delivery vans, so it’s clear Amazon isn’t beholden to using the Rivian vans to electrify its fleet.
BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz said GM has so far seen “incredibly” high demand for its new electric delivery vans, suggesting additional companies have expressed interest in the vehicles apart from those that have already been announced.
GM has so far received more than 25,000 orders for BrightDrop vehicles between the Zevo 600 and smaller Zevo 400, with its clientele including Walmart, Verizon, FedEx, and Merchants Fleet. Both vans ride on a dedicated EV architecture and tap GM’s Ultium model battery design and Ultium drive motor technology. The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant of the Zevo 600 has an estimated range of around 250 miles and boasts 600 cubic feet of cargo space at a GVWR of less than 10,000 pounds. It will eventually also launch in a single motor front-wheel-drive configuration. The Zevo 400 utilizes the same platform and powertrain technology but has a shorter wheelbase of just over 150 inches, compared to the Zevo 600’s length of 290 inches.
Production of the Zevo 600 and Zevo 400 will take place at the GM CAMI Assembly plant in southern Ontario. Production will begin at the Canadian plant this fall, with GM targeting an annual production output of roughly 30,000 units. The first BrightDrop EV600 units are currently being built by a supplier called Kuka AG at a separate facility in Michigan while GM completes renovation and retooling work at the CAMI facility. These Kuka-built vans will all be delivered to FedEx.
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Comments
Very interesting. I think GM will easily sell every one they can build.
I would think so. 25,000 in the grand scheme really isn’t that many vehicles. I’d be interested to know what they forecast the total production output to be once production if really up and running.
Companies are going to be fighting each other over these electric vans. Much less expensive to operate and maintain over the life of the vehicle. Not to mention cleaner emissions.
Imagine needing a recharge…and than, boom!!! A electric shortage, like what happened in Michigan for like 3 days not too long ago? And yes, electric may be a good idea, in many ways…but how is that electricity produced to re charge these electric cars? Not so green and clean after all, huh?
GM already showcased their mobile, hydrogen fuel cell powered DC fast chargers at their recent GMC HUMMER EV event. I’m sure that they could sell a number of those available to their BrightDrop fleet customers who don’t have other power backup options.
@Renegade
You do realize that you couldn’t Pump Gasoline either if the grid were to go down correct?
So you think these Companies should forego purchasing these BEV Delivery Vehicles that will save them thousands upon thousands of dollars per vehicle for that once in a while moment where the electricity goes out for half a day. Got it. Perfect logic.
GM will sell these in droves and will do so for years. They will NOT be able to keep up with the Demand!!!
Yeah, let’s just stick with the old fossil fuel gulpers as if nothing is wrong.
I would not mind seeing more of these types out there. I see time and time again diesel delivery trucks spewing soot out the exhaust and stinking up the place. it would be great if some of these larger distribution companies set up some solar power capability to offset some of the “where is the electricity coming from?” aspects. Now all we need are batteries that are easy to recycle, safer and super fast to charge 🙂
Get your head out of the sand. New diesels very rarely smoke. They burn so clean now that a person can wipe the inside of a diesel.powered vehicles exhaust and it will come out clean, thanks to the regeneration process of the DEF, and the DPF that come on all modern diesels. Something tells me that you are one of those who drive a Prius, with a ” coexist” bumper sticker on it…lol..
Nailed it!
haha I’m in the emissions business so I’m fully aware of the aftertreatment systems. There are still tons of your FedEx, UPS, Amazon trucks and school buses that predate that mandate and if you don’t live in a state with regular emission checks this is where they still operate. So thinking that all diesels are now magically equipped with aftertreatment systems is comical. looks like you sir need to get the reality check lol. Don’t forget about the NOx aspect either but that might be going over your head. Diesels still have a ways to go but that development work is promising and still ongoing. Go roll some coal buddy lol.
“Get your head out of the sand” says they guy with his head in the sand.
…but a random internet article that I invested 5.25 minutes reading said this was the case and it made my tiny bits tingle in validation of my world view. Nothing else could even be remotely possible.
@Lottaboost
Tesla is already fully recycling their Batteries. There are many Companies doing so currently as well. The issue is that there aren’t many old Batteries that have used up their Lifespan yet to recycle. Sometime in the Future we will ONLY recycle them and make new Batteries and will never Mine for the Material ever again. It will be a closed loop cycle. There are companies already that can charge a Battery Packs in under 10 Miniutes but the issue is scaling that Tech up and doing so affordably. Just imagine the Progress in Battery Tech and cost you will have when every new vehicle being sold will be a BEV in the Future. Anyone that doesn’t understand just how quickly battery prices will drop, Charging speed doubling, and range sky rocketing are just being very closed minded because they simply do not want Change. Tech grows so quickly that our Brains have a hard time imagining exponential Growth. I personally will be floored if by 2030 the majority of New vehicles being sold around the World won’t be BEV’s. There will be the Need for Niche ICE vehicles for quite some time. But the majority of vehicles will without a doubt be BEV’s.
Just look at the Current Demand for BEV’s around the Globe currently and most consumers aren’t even aware BEV’s exist let alone have driven one.
Tesla might have to stop taking Pre orders because they simply cannot build these cars fast enough and have an almost year waiting list and growing.
That’s not why Tesla is going to stop taking preorders- here is a copy of their reason “ Tesla is now delivering new Model Ys to people who ordered them last year for $5,000 to $10,000 cheaper than it is to buy one right now with a new order.
Elon Musk recently explained Tesla’s difficulties in adjusting pricing for vehicles that they are delivering six to twelve months from now, especially with rising costs of materials.
So while Tesla does want to have a significant backlog of orders, there comes a point where it becomes too difficult to manage.
Given the average footprint of an amazon distribution center…or better yet regional warehouse, covering that in high efficiency panels would definitely make a dent in the electricity demands.
My neighbors dog goes absolutely crazy every time he hears the tremendous diesel clatter of the UPS truck engine
I have been trying to get on the list to purchase an EV 400 and the wieners at Brightdrop won’t even return my call. Selling only one van doesn’t even warrant a return phone call
I sent you pictures of one of these at Menards in Davison a month ago. SMH, You guys are off your game