GM’s BrightDrop signs first customer in Canada, unveils country’s first large-scale EV plant

: The first electric delivery trucks rolled off the production line at BrightDrop’s new plant in Canada on Monday, while the emerging division of General Motors Co also announced DHL Express Canada as its first customer outside the United States.

GM transformed its 2-million-square-foot CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, in seven months and spending more than $2 billion into Canada’s first large-scale electric vehicle (EV) plant, powered by BrightDrop Zevo delivery trucks. Manufactured. Before the switch, the site produced the petrol-powered Chevy Equinox.

BrightDrop Chief Executive Travis Katz told Reuters before the event that the opening of the refurbished factory was “a big step towards offering EVs at scale.” He expects the facility to produce 50,000 of his Zevo electric vans annually by 2025.

Its debut comes as GM’s rapidly growing commercial EV units compete with rivals such as Ford Motor Company, Rivian Automotive Inc., Sterantis and Arrival for dominance in the electric delivery truck market. increase.

Experts say BrightDrop’s relationship with GM gives the company a manufacturing and financial burden that some competing EV startups lack.

“This allows us to go faster,” says Katz.

BrightDrop is expected to launch in 2021 and hit its first $1 billion in sales next year, Katz said, adding that it took Tesla Inc a decade to hit the same milestone.

BrightDrop previously built vans in a makeshift factory in Michigan. The company has already delivered 150 electric trucks to parcel carrier FedEx. The company’s other U.S. customers include retailer Walmart and telecom provider Verizon Communications.

These and many others have set the goal of gradually replacing gas-fired delivery trucks and service vehicles with zero-emission alternatives.

DHL Express Canada’s new relationship with BrightDrop “will help move us closer to that goal,” said CEO Andrew Williams.