GM has so far delivered 150 units of its new BrightDrop Zevo 600 vans to various FedEx locations throughout Southern California, the logistics company said this week.
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of the larger FedEx Corp., will use the battery-electric delivery vans for last-mile deliveries. The ongoing partnership between BrightDrop and FedEx will see the GM-owned company deliver a total of 2,500 van units over the next few years between both the Zevo 600 and the smaller Zevo 400.
In a statement, FedEx said the delivery of the first 150 vans “marks a critical milestone for FedEx as the company plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040.”
“At FedEx, we have ambitious sustainability goals, and our phased approach to vehicle electrification is a crucial part of our roadmap to achieve carbon neutral global operations,” said Mitch Jackson, FedEx’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “In just under six months, we’ve taken delivery of 150 BrightDrop Zevo 600s for our parcel pickup and delivery fleet. In today’s climate of chip shortages and supply chain issues, that’s no ordinary feat and a true testament to the collaboration between FedEx and BrightDrop.”
The BrightDrop Zevo 600 taps GM’s Ultium battery technology and Ultium drive motor technology, with the launch model utilizing an all-wheel-drive setup with two electric motors, a 20-module battery, and an estimated driving range of 250 miles. Other model variants will arrive at a later date, including the smaller Zevo 400 van, as well as front-wheel-drive versions of the Zevo 600. Full-scale production of the Zevo 600 and Zevo 400 will take place at the GM CAMI Assembly plant in Canada later this year, with early models currently being built by a German supplier at a separate facility in Michigan.
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Comments
We are supposed to believe a battery laying in a landfill for eternity is safer than a empty fuel tank. Sure thing! Keep inhaling that Ivy League poison. Your great grandchildren and generations beyond will pay the price.
Richard you can huff all the fumes you want in the privacy of your own home. Cheer up!
Hopefully you know most of the materials in a Lithium battery can be recycled and that’s after most of these batteries have been used in second life applications like grid storage.
If they are still good enough for grid storage why would they be removed from the vehicles?
LOL these batteries will last for well over a decade and will find many uses before they are recycled into new batteries.
Really? Most of the Li-ion batteries I am familiar with have a limited number of available charge cycles before fading. They also degrade with age.
You clearly have a very limited grasp on the environmental impacts of battery electric vehicles versus internal combustion. But if you truly cared about generations to come you would be wise to educate yourself instead of listening to the ignorant propaganda you’ve clearly been fed up to this point.
I think there’s ignorance and propaganda on both sides and a good dose of wishful thinking!
I love how EVs have suddenly created a new group of environmentalists. Suddenly it’s the top discussion. I invite this discussion as we always just accepted Intenal combustion without question. Now with the disruptive technology of Electric vehicles ICE fans now want to converse about environmental impacts. It’s awesome really.
Recyling. Ever heard of it?
How much cargo space is dedicated for the batteries?
None. Space designated for cargo is for… cargo.
How much cargo space in your pickup, van, or SUV is designated for gasoline?
All but the cab and gas tank. If the batteries occupy more volume than a gas tank they are consuming cargo / payload space.
None the batteries are in the floor
That’s still vehicle volume used by batteries instead of payload.