Merchants Fleet to buy 12,600 Electric delivery vehicles from GM’s BrightDrop

Merchants Fleet, the US’ fastest-growing fleet management company, is working with BrightDrop, the new business started by General Motors (GM), to procure a hefty 12,600 EV600s.

The all-new EV600 is lightweight and purpose-built for the efficient delivery of goods and services over long ranges.

What does BrightDrop do?

This is how GM describes BrightDrop, which launched it to “electrify and improve the delivery of goods”:

BrightDrop is a new business that offers an integrated electrified and connected delivery ecosystem designed to empower delivery and logistics companies to more efficiently transport goods from the warehouse shelf to the retail shelf or front door.

The BrightDrop ecosystem includes a connected ePallet called the EP1 and an all-electric cargo van called the EV600, as well as concepts that move EP1s over medium distances and rapid loading vans. Additionally, this logistics ecosystem includes fleet and mobile asset management platforms that provide customers visibility and access to their BrightDrop products through both web and mobile interfaces.

Last month, Electrek reported on GM’s formation of BrightDrop and that it would supply FedEx with 500 delivery vehicles. Merchants Fleet is BrightDrop’s second major customer behind FedEx.

What’s in Merchants Fleet’s future?

Merchants Fleet says it’s “the nation’s fastest-growing fleet management company.” It provides flexible funding and service options for organizations that leverage vehicles to run their operations, serving as a single source for all vehicle needs, including electric vehicles. 

Merchants is ordering 12,600 BrightDrop EV600s that are powered by the Ultium battery system. The all-wheel-drive EV600 gets up to 250 miles of range on a single charge. It has a peak DC fast charging rate of up to 170 miles of EV range per hour via 120kW DC fast charging. It also has 600 cubic feet of cargo space and 2,200 pounds of estimated payload capacity. The EV600s are expected to join Merchants Fleet in early 2023.

Merchants Fleet aims to have a 50% electric mobility fleet by 2025 and 50% of its managed fleet portfolio electric by 2030. The company has officially launched Electrify Fleet, an innovative EV initiative to educate clients and deploy new electric commercial vehicles into the market with original equipment manufacturer partners.

Brendan P. Keegan, CEO of Merchants Fleet, said:

We are proud to be the first fleet management company to work with BrightDrop, the innovative and vital new solution from GM. Merchants Fleet is fully committed to the future of electrification, and working to add BrightDrop EV600s to our clients’ fleets is an exciting part of our broader strategy.

Photo: BrightDrop