BrightDrop Slated to Open Up Storefronts Late 2021

Turning the commercial delivery world into an electric operation is certainly part of the goal with the new BrightDrop program launched by GM.

As much as it might benefit the environment for all vehicles to be made electric, changing the city landscape from gasoline models that emit harmful gasses to electric vehicles is one way to cut down onair pollution and smog. With this in mind,we see the BrightDrop EV600.

What is the EV600?

The new EV600 is a zero-emissions battery-powered commercial van that can deliver a lot of goods and give a driving range of 250 miles on a single full charge. This van offers more than 600 cubic feet of cargo room which is nearly four times what you find in the largest full-size SUVs in the market. Charging takes about one hour to reach 170 miles of range, which means this van wouldn’t be off the road for more than two hours to be fully charged.

Excellent Safety Offered in the EV600

Not only can a company benefit from the electric power and driving range of the EV600, but this van alsohas the most advanced safety features in the market. These features include front and rear park assist, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alerts, follow distance indicator, front pedestrian braking, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, IntelliBeam high beams, and an HD rearview camera.

Companies that order the BrightDrop EV600 can also add rear cross-traffic braking, blind-zone steering assist, reverse automatic braking, HD Surround Vision, rear pedestrian alert, and enhanced automatic emergency braking to give drivers a full package of safety features during their time on the road.

Large Orders Lead to Early Success

Whenthe EV600 was first introduced by General Motors at CES 2021, CEO Mary Barra was already able to announce a large order had been placed. FedEx placed an initial order of 500 of the EV600 vans to be used around the country to deliver their packages without the use of any gasoline at all. That initial order was the first publicly announced purchase but then MerchantsFleet followed with an order for 12,600 of these vans to be offered for its use.

The EP1 Makes Deliveries Even Easier

Along with the development of the electric van, the BrightDrop program has come up with a new way for deliveries to be made much easier. This system is called the EP1 and it’s an electric pallet that allows goods to be moved easily over short distances. This means adelivery drive won’t have to carry the products to the door of a customer or to a business, they can rely on this technology.

What is the EP1?

The EP1 is an electric pallet system that has built-in electric hub motors. The pallet can drive at speeds up to 3 mph which is an ideal walking pace. This pallet can hold about 23 cubic feet of cargo and carry up to 200 pounds. It has an adjustable shelving unit to help organize items and lockable cabinets to increase the security of the contents. Thiscould take some of the load off a delivery driver when they are out on the road bringing many packages to customers.

Using BrightDrop Produces Makes Sense

For delivery companies large and small, the use of an electric van with back-saving palletsjust makes sense. More people have been shopping online in the past couple of years than ever before, which adds more stress to the delivery vans and drivers. These professionals need the best tools and an EV600 filled with EP1 pallets can make the job much easier for any delivery company.

You May See BrightDrop Storefronts in Many Cities

Because this electric van program is a GM product, you would expect to see the name at many GM dealerships, but that’s not going to be the only place you see them. Before the end of this year, GM expects to partner with commercial vehicle dealers to add the EV600 fleet to the models that are offered. This can be an excellent partnership because these dealers understand the needs of commercial customers.

Electrified Delivery is the Future and the Now

GM beat other companies to the punch with their new EV600 BrightDrop vans and the EP1 pallet systems, but this is just the beginning. As electric charging and battery technology continues to improve, we should expect to see more commercial vehicles take advantage of this technology and utilize it for their fleet drivers. The BrightDrop program is just the beginning.