BrightDrop and FedEx set world record with single charge journey

General Motors’ BrightDrop has announced that, in collaboration with FedEx, it set a new Guinness World Record title for the greatest distance traveled by an electric van on a single charge.

The BrightDrop Zevo 600, formerly known as the BrightDrop EV600, completed the nearly 260-mile (418 km) trip from New York City to Washington, D.C., driven by Stephen Marlin.

According to the press release, as part of the journey, the Zevo 600 transported a shipment of Full Circle sustainable cleaning products from its headquarters in New York City to a MOM’s Organic Market location in Washington, D.C., a Mid-Atlantic chain of family-owned and operated organic grocery stores.

FedEx is a strategic first customer of BrightDrop EVs, which received the first units in December 2021.

It’s worth to note that the Ultium-based BrightDrop Zevo 600 has a payload of up to an estimated 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg) and over 600 cubic feet of cargo area. The company says that the Zevo 600’s driving range is roughly 250 miles (400 km). It indicates that the team exceeded the nominal range during the run.

Travis Katz, BrightDrop president and CEO said: “Since the beginning, the Zevo 600 has been a record-setting vehicle. Now we’re seeing firsthand what BrightDrop can do by pairing our zero-operating-emissions technology with FedEx, a leader in the transportation and delivery industry. 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 decarbonize deliveries.”

BrightDrop so far has secured more than 25,000 production reservations for Zevo 600 and Zevo 400 models, including 2,500 from FedEx. Other customers, interested in those all-new electric commercial vehicles are Merchants Fleet (up to 18,000) and Walmart (up to 5,000).