General Motors electric van breaks distance record

An EV manufactured by General Motors has set the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance travelled by an electric van on a single charge.

BrightDrop, a venture by General Motors, in collaboration with FedEx achieved a distance of 418 kilometres.

The BrightDrop Zevo 600 covered the journey from New York City to Washington DC in one single charge.

With its top speed is electronically limited to 65 mph, the record was set by Stephen Marlin, a client solutions account executive for BrightDrop, the division of General Motors that took the battery electric van from concept to production.

The van, in doing so, also delivered a shipment of Full Circle sustainable cleaning products to a family-owned chain in Washington DC.

Since conception, the Zevo 600 has been a record-setting vehicle, according to Travis Katz, BrightDrop CEO.

“Now we are 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 said in a statement

“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,” said Katz.

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.

FedEx Chief Sustainability Officer, Mitch Jackson, said the company was proud to be part of the record-setting moment as it works toward a 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,” he said.

“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.”

The BrightDrop EV is equipped with various features including, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front and Rear Park Assist and Forward Collision Alert.

Send this to a friend