GM Accelerates BrightDrop EV Growth with New Canadian Plant

GM is starting to build its BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric delivery vans at its newly redesigned CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. The huge two-million square-foot plant is the largest EV plant in Canada. It will eventually build both the BrightDrop Zevo 600 and the smaller Zevo 400 delivery vans. GM announced that the production is already underway and the company’s first customer is DHL Express of Canada.

DHL Express and BrightDrop

DHL Express Canada plans to add BrightDrop Zevo electric delivery vans to its fleet. The company will also try using BrightDrop’s Trace eCarts and software to which are designed to help streamline parcel delivery and make things easier for delivery drivers. BrightDrop’s mission is to reduce carbon emissions while reducing urban congestion. BrightDrop’s primary focus is on the “last mile” in the delivery process. That’s why the eCarts could help driver’s transport heavy packages the last block or two in the delivery process. DHL Express is committed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Bringing BrightDrop to Canada and starting production at CAMI is a major step to providing EVs at scale, while delivering real results to the world’s biggest brands,” said Travis Katz, BrightDrop president and CEO. “Our international expansion is proof that we can deliver exactly what our customers need where they need it. Having DHL Express Canada come onboard as a new customer shows the confidence legacy brands have in our ability to deliver.”

“As the world’s most international logistics company, we understand the important role we can play in pioneering climate-friendly operations, which is why we're so pleased to be BrightDrop’s customer in Canada as they invest in local Canadian communities, create unique employment opportunities and promote the growth of sustainable transportation,” said Andrew Williams, CEO for DHL Express Canada. “DHL made a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and as we continue to invest in our electric ground fleet worldwide, which now includes 27,000 electric vehicles, relationships such as the one we're launching with BrightDrop in Canada helps bring us closer to our sustainability goals while also supporting our customers with their own climate goals.”

GM Canada’s CAMI Assembly

GM invested nearly $800 million in 2021 to convert the CAMI Assembly plant to a BrightDrop high-volume EV production facility. The plant is located east of London, Ontario. Up until now, BrightDrop has only been building small numbers of the delivery vans, but the demand is growing fast. CAMI is expected to produce 50,000 Zevo vans annually by 2025. Mass production will begin with Zevo 600 models in January 2023 and Zevo 400 models in late 2023.

BrightDrop already has more than 30 customers in the U.S., including FedEx, Walmart, Hertz and Verizon. BrightDrop says it will announce new Canadian customers in the coming months. As of now, BrightDrop has more than 25,000 production reservations and expressions of interest for its electric delivery vans.

GM Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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