GM on January 13th announced two electric vehicles, including the EV600 truck that is capable of a driving range of 400km, and the mini electric pallet, as well as the new brand BrightDrop, which provides BEV commercial logistics solutions, with FedEx being the first client.
The penetrating angle for each automotive manufacturer is different in the face of the monumental market of electric vehicles, and for someone like General Motors, the pioneer in electric vehicles, the company wants it all. From the supply chain to the total solution, GM hopes to grasp on the transition of paradigm, and re-polish the operation model of the company.
The startup BrightDrop formed independently from inside the company is the latest achievement of GM, and the person in charge will be Travis Katz from Redpoint Ventures. BrightDrop will be marching into the logistics field with the electric vehicles of GM, and constructing a logistics ecosystem of electric vehicles from scratch, with two weapons and one ally on deck.
EP1
The logistics market is becoming the red sea of the future, and GM predicts that the company will achieve a market value of US$850 billion in the US logistics delivery market in 2025, and the demand for the last mile in metropolitan regions will grow by 78% compared to the figure right now, indicating that the demand for logistics transportation will increase by 36% from the top 100 cities in the world.
In order to seize this particular market, GM has started off with the smallest EP1 electric pallet for it grand plan in electric logistics, which is capable of approximately 5km/h, and a load weight of 100kg, as well as roughly 650L of cargo space. EP1 is used to provide cargo transportation in short distance, such as the distance from the factory to the trucks, or from the truck to the doorstep of the recipients.
The outer hatch of EP1 can be remotely controlled and unlocked, and the inner part of the pallet is equipped with adjustable shelves for tallying. “We have developed this product in accordance with the feedbacks of delivery personnel, which resolves the issues that they encounter on a daily basis, including the falling of merchandize and the difficulty in traveling on ramps, making delivery a much easier task”, commented Pamela Fletcher, VP of GM electrified vehicles. (The particular design is in no way correlated to the maglev shelves in Death Stranding)
According to the results of the first phase trial conducted by GM and FedEx, there has been an increase of 25% in the volume of goods handled for delivery personnel with the help of EP1, and what is important is that this tiny helper will commence operation starting from the first quarter of this year, with one of the primary metropolitan areas in the US as the first to bear witness.
EV600
The electric truck EV600 seems a bit dull compared to EP1, and the only highlight is that both models adopt the latest Ultium battery structure of GM, which offers 400km of driving range for the truck that is much further for small electric trucks that are currently available in the market.
GM commented that a DC fast charging of 1 hour will provide approximately 270km of driving range for EV600, allowing this utility vehicle that contains a cargo space of 16,900L to operate on longer working hours.
In addition to the large-sized digital dashboard and the fully opened electric rear door that are essential to electric trucks, EV600 is also equipped with a forward-facing slide door, a widened tally ramp, and indispensable autonomous driving functions, such as lane keeping, automatic braking, and blind spot detection, which minimize the pressure and risks of delivery drivers.
Numerous major manufacturers have entered the field of electrified logistics, where companies like Benz, Ford, and Tesla have provided commercial models, whereas logistics providers like Amazon and Walmart are also preparing for respective strategies in the arrangement of electric vehicle fleets. It is still unclear whether the “electrified logistics ecosystem”, comprised of manufacturers and clients, that GM wishes to provide is going to succeed, but the first client being a major logistics carrier like FedEx is definitely off to a good start.
(Photo source: GM)