General Motor’s BrightDrop announced that, in partnership with FedEx, it set a new Guinness World Record title for the greatest distance travelled by an electric van on a single charge.
The journey was 260 miles (418km) and was completed by the BrightDrop Zevo 600. The trip, driven by Stephen Marlin, was from New York City to Washington D.C while stopping at some iconic destinations on the way including landmarks in Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Brightdrop President and CEO, Travis Katz has stated: ‘’since the beginning, the Zevo 600 has been a record-setting vehicle. Now we’re seeing first-hand what BrightDrop can do by pairing our zero-operating-emissions technology with FedEx, a leader in the transportation and delivery industry,’’.
He goes onto say, ‘’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 decarbonise deliveries’’.
BrightDrop delivered its first electric light commercial vehicles to FedEx in December after completing the production builds of the Zevo 600 in only 20 months. According to the company statement, this makes it the fastest vehicle to market in General Motors history.
The manufacturing strength of expertise in combination with the focus and speed of a start-up, supported BrightDrop’s speed to market, while also placing the company in a position to tackle the biggest sustainability and climate issues that out world faces today.
Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer of FedEx states: ‘’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, 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.”
