BrightDrop keeps on signing agreements with primary customers: Walmart and FedEx
Walmart plans to use BrightDrop electric vans as part of its InHome delivery service, which will be rapidly expanding, going from InHome being available to 6 million households to making it accessible to 30 million US households by the end of the year. FedEx reserved priority production for 2,000 electric delivery vans over the next few years.
At CES 2022 in Las Vegas, BrightDrop announced some more agreements with primary companies such as Walmart and FedEx, which purchased some more commercial vehicles from the US-based manufacturer belonging to the General Motors group. According to BrightDrop, Walmart signed an agreement to reserve 5,000 of BrightDrop’s EV600 and smaller EV410 electric delivery vans to support the retail giant’s growing last mile delivery network and goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040.
The second very relevant order from FedEx
FedEx had already ordered 500 vans. Now, a new agreement was signed and FedEx reserved priority production for 2,000 electric delivery vans over the next few years. FedEx is apparently working on an ambitious plan to add up to 20,000 more in the years to follow, subject to further negotiations and execution of a definitive purchase agreement. FedEx also unveiled plans to expand its testing of BrightDrop’s EP1 electrified container to 10 markets beginning in 2022.
BrightDrop was launched as a business at CES 2021. The EV600, built on General Motors’ Ultium Platform, was conceived in just 20 months prior to initial deliveries to FedEx, making it the fastest vehicle to market in GM’s history. The BrightDrop EV600 is currently in production and the new EV410 will be available in late 2023.
BrightDrop e-vans for boosting Walmart sustainability plans
Walmart plans to use BrightDrop electric vans as part of its InHome delivery service, which will be rapidly expanding, going from InHome being available to 6 million households to making it accessible to 30 million US households by the end of the year. Launched in 2019, Walmart’s InHome delivery service is designed to give time back to families by using highly trained associates to deliver fresh groceries and everyday essentials directly into the customer’s kitchen or garage refrigerator. To support the growth of InHome, this year the company will hire more than 3,000 associate delivery drivers and will equip them with an all-electric fleet of delivery vans to support the retailer’s goal of operating a 100 percent zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040.
As FedEx works toward its goal to achieve carbon neutral operations globally by 2040, the company has set a target to electrify their entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet. To achieve that goal, FedEx envisions adding hundreds of thousands of medium electric delivery vehicles over the next two decades.
