BrightDrop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BrightDrop
TypeElectric commercial delivery technology company
IndustryDelivery and logistics
Founded12 January 2021; 11 months ago (12 January 2021)
Key people
Travis Katz (President and CEO)
Products
  • BrightDrop EV600 electric van
  • BrightDrop EP1 electric pallet
  • BrightDrop software platform
OwnerGeneral Motors
Websitewww.gobrightdrop.com

BrightDrop is a business brand introduced by the American manufacturer General Motors in 2021.[1] The business offers a system of connected products targeting first- and last-mile delivery customers, including light commercial electric vehicles, ePallets, and cloud-based software.[2]

Its first products, the BrightDrop EV600 delivery van and EP1 ePallet, were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on 12 January 2021.[3] General Motors will invest $800 million to produce the EV600 in the CAMI Automotive manufacturing facility in Ingersoll, Canada.[4]

History[]

BrightDrop, initially called Smart Cargo,[5] was one of the first businesses launched by GM's Global Innovation team incubator, headed by engineer Pam Fletcher.[6] It began development in September 2019. By February 2020, Smart Cargo had evolved to combine GM's electric van plans with development of software- and data-driven services for delivery businesses. Later that year, GM recruited Travis Katz to become president and CEO of BrightDrop.[5] Previously, Katz had held executive roles at Redpoint Ventures, Skyscanner, and MySpace; he was also CEO and co-founder of Trip.com.[7]

GM CEO Mary Barra introduced the BrightDrop brand as part of her address at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2021.[8] After the announcement, GM's stock reached its highest price since its initial public offering in 2010.[9]

Products[]

Further information: BrightDrop EV600

BrightDrop's first two products are the EV600 electric van and EP1 electric pallet.[10] The EV600 is powered by GM's Ultium battery platform[11] and is purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services over long distances.[12] It has a built-in security system[2][13] and a range of 250 miles per charge.[9] Its name is a play on its 600 cubic feet of cargo space.[14]

The EP1 can carry up to 23 cubic feet[15] and 200 pounds.[14] It has a built-in electric motor[2] to move at a speed of up to 3 miles per hour, adjusting to the walking speed of its operator.[16] It helps delivery workers move goods over short distances, like from a van to a customer's front door.[10] It has adjustable shelves and doors that can be remotely locked and unlocked.[2] In a pilot program with FedEx, couriers were able to handle 25% more packages per day with the EP1[12] and experienced less physical strain.[16]

The company also has a cloud-based software platform accessible by web or mobile app.[2] Its software can monitor vehicle locations[13] and battery charges,[17] manage vehicles remotely, predict maintenance needs,[10] and optimize routes.[18]

A smaller version of BrightDrop's van, to be called the EV410, will be built at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Canada from 2023, with the first models going to the fleet of Verizon.[19]

Operations[]

BrightDrop is developing electric vans, related hardware, support services and software for use by commercial delivery firms.[5] It is part of a larger initiative at GM to have an all-electric lineup of vehicles by 2035.[10] BrightDrop's first customer is FedEx,[7] which placed an initial order for 500 EV600 vehicles.[8][20] Merchants Fleet, a fleet management company, is slated to purchase an additional 12,600 EV600s starting in 2023.[21][22]

GM's CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, will manufacture the EV600,[23] making it Canada's first large-scale auto plant converted to produce electric delivery vehicles.[24] GM planned to invest $800 million in the plant for this purpose.[25]

References[]

  1. ^ "GM Launches 'BrightDrop' Brand For Electric Commercial Vehicles". Forbes. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Korosec, Kirsten (12 January 2021). "GM targets delivery companies with new EV business unit BrightDrop". TechCrunch. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  3. ^ "GM creating new EV business to speed delivery, logistics — BrightDrop". Detroit News. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  4. ^ Szymkowski, Sean. "GM's Brightdrop electric delivery van production slated for Canada". Roadshow. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Lienert, Paul; Klayman, Ben; White, Joseph (7 April 2021). "CEO Mary Barra bets GM can grow beyond cars and trucks". Reuters. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  6. ^ Lutz, Hannah (12 January 2021). "GM launches commercial EV brand, with FedEx as first customer". Automotive News. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b Brown, Chris (1 February 2021). "How GM's New BrightDrop EV Business Will Work with Fleets". Fleet Forward. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b Klayman, Ben; Lienert, Paul (12 January 2021). "GM shares jump on plans for electric delivery vehicle business". Reuters. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b Foldy, Ben; Colias, Mike (12 January 2021). "New GM Electric-Truck Business Targets Delivery Market". Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ a b c d Lutz, Hannah (28 February 2021). "Q&A with BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz". Automotive News. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  11. ^ Cole, Craig (12 January 2021). "GM's BrightDrop EV600 all-electric van looks ready to deliver at CES 2021". Roadshow. CNET. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  12. ^ a b "GM Unveils New Electric Delivery Van & EV Business Unit". Automotive Fleet. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  13. ^ a b Gitlin, Jonathan M. (12 January 2021). "FedEx will be the first customer for GM's new electric delivery van". Ars Technica. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  14. ^ a b Welch, David (12 January 2021). "GM Expands Plug-In Push to Delivery Vans, Ultra-Luxury Cars". Bloomberg. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  15. ^ Levin, Tim (12 January 2021). "GM announces new electric delivery van with its own motorized pallet as part of new move into logistics". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  16. ^ a b Cole, Craig (12 January 2021). "GM debuts BrightDrop EP1, a motorized delivery box at CES 2021". Roadshow by CNET. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  17. ^ Hawkins, Andrew J. (12 January 2021). "GM unveils electric delivery van with 250 miles of range as part of new spinoff business". The Verge. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  18. ^ Geman, Ben; Muller, Joann (12 January 2021). "General Motors and FedEx join the race to electrify package delivery". Axios. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  19. ^ https://www.carscoops.com/2021/09/gms-brightdrop-starts-ev600-production-and-unveils-smaller-ev410-for-verizon/
  20. ^ Wayland, Michael (12 January 2021). "General Motors unveils EV van as part of new commercial business unit". CNBC. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Merchants Fleet to purchase over 12,000 EV600s from BrightDrop". FleetOwner. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  22. ^ Kane, Mark (4 February 2021). "Merchants Fleet To Procure 12,600 BrightDrop EV600s". InsideEVs. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  23. ^ Noble, Breana (18 January 2021). "Canadian GM workers ratify contract for commercial electric van production". The Detroit News. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  24. ^ Desjardins, Lynn (18 January 2021). "Workers ratify agreement to make electric vans in Canada". Radio Canada International. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  25. ^ Hall, Kalea (15 January 2021). "GM to build commercial EV van in Canada". The Detroit News. Retrieved 23 April 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""