GM’s EV Platform BrightDrop Gains Second Customer

Merchants Fleet, a fleet management company based in New Hampshire, has announced its plans to further electrify its portfolio through BrightDrop, a new electric delivery business by Detroit’s General Motors Co.
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Merchants Fleet BrightDrop vehicle
Merchants Fleet is partnering with GM’s BrightDrop to electrify its fleet. // Photo courtesy of General Motors Co.

Merchants Fleet, a fleet management company based in New Hampshire, has announced its plans to further electrify its portfolio through BrightDrop, a new electric delivery business by Detroit’s General Motors Co.

BrightDrop will procure 12,600 BrightDrop EV600s for Merchants Fleet. The vehicles are electric light commercial vehicles built for the delivery of goods and services over long ranges. The EV600 is powered by the Ultium battery system and combines zero-emissions driving with safety features.

Merchants Fleet expects the new vehicles to enter its clients’ fleets starting in early 2023.

“Merchants Fleet’s move to add such a large number of BrightDrop EV600s to their portfolio signals their strong commitment to accelerate the electric fleet movement and their belief that BrightDrop solutions will help them and their clients achieve a greener and more efficient future,” says Travis Katz, president and CEO of BrightDrop.

Aiming to have 50 percent of its mobility fleet portfolio electric by 2025 and 50 percent of its managed fleet portfolio fully electric by 2030, Merchants Fleet has launched Electrify Fleet, a vehicle electrification initiative designed to rapidly deploy new electric commercial vehicles into the market with OEM partners.

The initiative is also focused on educating clients about the advantages, applications, and options available to them and providing tools and insights to help them make a seamless and cost-effective switch to electric vehicles.

“We are proud to be the first fleet management company to work with BrightDrop, the innovative and vital new solution from GM,” says Brendan P. Keegan, CEO of Merchants Fleet. “Merchants Fleet is fully committed to the future of electrification, and working to add BrightDrop EV600s to our clients’ fleets is an exciting part of our broader strategy. We look forward to continuing to expand our EV fleet capabilities to provide our clients with a range of electric vehicle services and solutions to meet their evolving needs.”

BrightDrop was announced on Jan. 12, and FedEx has already signed on with the company after completing a pilot phase. On Jan. 18, the division announced it would invest $800 million in GM’s CAMI manufacturing plant in Ontario, Canada to produce the EV600.