GM subsidiary BrightDrop has announced the opening of its first dealership, BrightDrop Greater Los Angeles in Fontana, California, and expects to begin customer deliveries of their electric light commercial vehicles before the end of the year.

Demand for urban last-mile delivery, fueled by e-commerce, is expected to grow by 78 percent by 2030, leading to a 36 percent increase in delivery vehicles in the world’s top 100 cities. At the same time, this increase in demand is expected to cause delivery-related carbon emissions to rise by nearly one-third. BrightDrop's portfolio of electric delivery vehicles and smart containers are aimed at decarbonizing the last-mile delivery process, reducing traffic congestion and environmental impact in urban areas.

BrightDrop’s first product to market, the EP1, is a propulsion-assisted, electric pallet developed to easily move goods over short distances – for example, from the delivery vehicle to the customer’s front door. It features built-in electric hub motors with adjustable speed up to 3 mph depending on operator’s walking pace. The EP1 is maneuverable in tight spaces and can securely handle a 200 pound payload.

The EV600 is an electric light commercial vehicle with over 600 cub ic feet of crgo area purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services over long ranges. Powered by the Ultium battery system, the EV600 is targeted to have an estimated range of up to 250 miles on a full charge and is capable of charging at a rate of up to 170 miles of EV range per hour via 120kW DC fast charging.

The mid-size EV410 is well-suited for faster, smaller payload deliveries or as a last-mile and traditional service vehicle. The EV410’s available gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds also reduces the need for additional CDL operating licenses, expanding zero-emissions driving to new segments.

Merchants Fleet Services has already ordered more than 12000 BrightDrop vehicles, with plans to expand that order to 18,000. An EP1 pilot program was completed earlier this year in partnership with FedEx Express. During the test period, FedEx Express couriers were able to effectively and safely handle 25 percent more packages per day.