General Motors Inc. announced December 17 that it had delivered its first electric Hummers and that its subsidiary, BrightDrop LLC, had similarly delivered the first of its electric delivery vans to FedEx Corp. Both vehicles are built on GM’s “Ultium” EV platform, which the company says will drive it to meet or surpass electric automaker Tesla Motors in sales by 2025.
GM President Mark Reuss said the deliveries marked a “first chapter” for the Ultium platform and GM’s larger “transition to a zero-emissions future.” In a statement, Reuss reaffirmed GM’s previously-stated strategy to offer a significant range of electric vehicles, with 30 new EV models planned through 2025.
“GM is ideally positioned to provide EVs for every customer in every segment, retail or commercial,” said Reuss.
The company’s first steps on that path have been to reintroduce its colossal Hummer SUV as an electric vehicle and to start a subsidiary, BrightDrop, which specializes in electric delivery vans and other electric delivery equipment.
BrightDrop’s own Friday announcement was to reveal it had delivered its first 5 EV600 electric delivery vans to FedEx, of a planned 500-unit order. FedEx’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Mitch Jackson, pitched the first delivery as key to the company’s environmental goals. “This collaborative effort shows how businesses can take action to help usher in a lower-emissions future for all,” said Jackson.
“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,” said Travis Katz, President of BrightDrop, in a statement. “The speed with which we brough the first BrightDrop electric vehicles to market shows how the private sector can innovate,” he added. According to General Motors, the EV600 delivery van is the fastest concept-to-market vehicle in company history.
In order to power the company’s pivot to battery electric vehicles, GM announced December 12 it would build a new battery plant in Lansing, Michigan for a new $2.5 billion battery plant.
