WASHINGTON — General Motors (GM), in collaboration with Federal Express (FedEx), recently set a Guinness World Record for greatest distance traveled by an electric delivery vehicle on a single charge.
While nowhere near the size of a Class 8 rig, the recent achievement by the electric van is seen by some in the trucking industry as a step in the right direction for larger electric freight movers.
BrightDrop Zevo 600 driver Stephen Marlin set the record after driving from New York City to Washington, D.C. — nearly 300 miles — on a single charge.
GM started BrightDrop last year.
It offers two commercial electric delivery vehicles — built at GM’s CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersol, Canada — and other technological solutions for the delivery industry such as the EP1, a propulsion-assisted electric pallet to move goods over short distances, including from the delivery truck to a front door. It also offers mobile asset management for the EP1 to allow for location monitoring, battery status and other remote commands.
Driving the Zevo 600, formerly known as the BrightDrop EV600, Marlin completed the near 260-mile trip on a single charge in conjunction with Earth Day 2022. The Zevo 600 stopped at a couple of iconic destinations along the route, including landmarks in Philadelphia and Baltimore.
“Since the beginning, the Zevo 600 has been a record-setting vehicle. Now we’re seeing firsthand what BrightDrop can do by pairing our zero-operating-emissions technology with FedEx, a leader in the transportation and delivery industry,” said Travis Katz, BrightDrop president and CEO. “Having a long battery range with reliable power is critical to electrifying delivery fleets everywhere. This special delivery highlights our products’ advanced capabilities and our mission to decarbonize deliveries.”
BrightDrop delivered its first electric light commercial vehicles to FedEx in December after completing its first production builds of the Zevo 600 in just 20 months, making it the fastest vehicle to market in GM’s history. Combining the focus and agility of a startup with the manufacturing might and expertise of GM enabled BrightDrop’s speed to market, while putting it in position to help some of the world’s largest companies tackle some of the biggest climate and emissions-related challenges our world faces today.
“FedEx is proud to be a part of this record-setting moment as we work toward our goal of achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2040. Electrifying our entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet is a crucial component of that goal and we’re thrilled BrightDrop is bringing real solutions to the market that can help us get there,” said Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer, FedEx. “I’ve long said sustainability is a team sport. Today’s milestone is a perfect example of how businesses can lead the charge in ushering in a more sustainable future for customers, our communities and our planet through collaboration.”
As part of the journey, the Zevo 600 transported a shipment of Full Circle sustainable cleaning products from its headquarters in New York City to a MOM’s Organic Market location in Washington, D.C., a Mid-Atlantic chain of family-owned and operated organic grocery stores. Full Circle is a brand of sustainable home care products, and a small business customer of FedEx.
“We started Full Circle Brands to reinvent cleaning and make home care products that are better for the world,” said Tal Chitayat, co-founder and CEO, Full Circle Brands. “We are thrilled to further that mission with our friends at FedEx as part of this world-changing milestone in sustainable deliveries with BrightDrop.”
Similar to GM, FedEx targets carbon neutral operations by 2040.
“Congratulations to Stephen Marlin, BrightDrop and FedEx on achieving the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ® title for the greatest distance traveled by an electric van on a single charge,” said Andy Glass, adjudicator, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ®. “This accomplishment is a perfect example of the extraordinary efforts taken to make a difference for the environment and a fitting way to commemorate Earth Day 2022. We welcome them into the family of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ® title holders.”
According to a news release from BrightDrop, the “Zevo 600 combines the best attributes of a traditional and a step-in van into one vehicle.”
The Zevo 600 also features automatic emergency braking, front and rear park assist and forward collision Alert. Built on the Ultium platform, the Zevo 600 offers more than 600 cubic feet of cargo area and an available 2,200 pounds of estimated payload capacity, “which results in superior range without compromising space,” according to the news release.
BrightDrop has secured more than 25,000 EV production reservations, including 2,500 from FedEx, in just 12 months. The Zevo 600 is currently in production.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
