FedEx takes delivery of first electric delivery vans from GM’s BrightDrop

FedEx confirmed today that it has taken delivery of the first electric delivery vans from GM’s BrightDrop division.

The first 5 EVs of the 500 that the logistic giant ordered.

BrightDrop was launched earlier this year as a new electric delivery and logistic unit of GM. The new division launched by announcing that FedEx has already placed an order of 500 electric Light Commercial Vehicles (eLCVs), which BrightDrop calls ‘EV600′. Almost exactly a year after the announcement of the creation of BrightDrop, FedEx confirmed that it took delivery of the first five electric delivery vans.

They shared a few pictures of the newly delivered BrightDrop EV600 electric delivery vans:

Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer of FedEx, commented on the announcement:

The delivery of the first BrightDrop EV600s is a historic moment, born out of a spirit of collaboration between two leading American companies. At FedEx, transforming our pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles is integral to achieving our ambitious sustainability goals announced earlier this year. This collaborative effort shows how businesses can take action to help usher in a lower-emissions future for all.

FedEx has previously announced its goal for its global pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to go all-electric by 2040.

Travis Katz, President and CEO of BrightDrop, commented on the delivery to FedEx:

As eCommerce continues to grow, BrightDrop is thrilled to partner with FedEx in our mission to dramatically reduce vehicle emissions from delivery and deliver a brighter future for all of us. FedEx has ambitious sustainability goals, and the speed with which we brought the first BrightDrop electric vehicles to market shows how the private sector can innovate and help bring solutions for some of our biggest climate- and emissions-related challenges.

As for the EV600, it is powered by GM’s Ultium platform, which also powers GM’s other upcoming EVs, like the Hummer EV. GM says that it has “an estimated range of up to 250 miles on a full charge”, and that it offers “more than 600 cubic feet of cargo area.”

These first few EV600 delivery vans are going to be used at the FedEx Express facility in Inglewood, California.