SAN FRANCISCO – As we rounded the corner, a man waved us down. He had seen the truck quietly drive around the neighborhood all morning and wanted to know where he could get one. “It’s an electric car,” I tell him and his excitement grows.
“That’s exactly what I needed,” he exclaimed as he pulled a card out of his wallet to give to my co-pilot with the expectation that BrightDrop Will call him to provide details on ordering his own electric delivery truck. In a larger sense, FedExVerizon and Walmart Look at BrightDrop Zevo 600 (formerly the EV600 electric truck) and also decided, “This is exactly what we needed.”
We left and he yelled that his plumber friend was interested in the Zevo 600 too. It’s not hard to see why. Once behind the wheel, the Zevo 600 impressed with the fit and finish as well as attention to detail of the GM-owned BrightDrop cargo van that boasts the same Ultium. the battery technology is Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Silverado EV. BrightDrop notes that while designing the van, it interviewed not only fleet managers and companies, but also drivers.
The result is a vehicle that includes fatigue-reducing features, incredible visibility thanks to large windows, motion-sensing lighting, a range of 250 km and a very powerful single-pedal steering system. impressive.
Some of these came into play as we drove the Zevo 600 through the narrow streets of San Francisco. Navigating the busy city roads is difficult for a passenger vehicle, and a large truck requires more. The Zevo 600 deftly handles a wide range of situations with ease.
The steering wheel lacks any of the play found in older trucks. It’s consistent and smooth. Acceleration is uniform and there aren’t any torque surprises. Neck jerks can be great for a passenger car, but in a delivery truck, they mean a landslide of boxes falling off shelves.
The van’s all-wheel drive system makes 300 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. The city isn’t a place for cargo racing, but with a brief stint behind the wheel, it doesn’t look like the Zevo 600 will have any problems climbing San Francisco’s many steep levels.
Most impressive, however, is the single-pedal steering feature. Within two blocks, I could lift the gas pedal and hit the exact stop at the signs. At that time, brake pedals are not used for the remaining 90% of the drive.
However, it’s important to note that our drive was in an empty truck. 600 cubic feet of cargo space doesn’t fill up to the 2,200 pounds of payload the Zevo 600 can handle. Once it’s filled, however, BrightDrop says its truck can go 250 miles between charges based on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards – no EPA requirements for Class 2b and Class 3 vehicles.
That 250-mile range is twice as much as offers from Electric Ford E-Transit van. BrightDrop says achieving that larger number is important in keeping the truck performing in a variety of terrains, weather and driving habits. The company also wants to overcome any possibility of battery degradation. Of course, that’s also a big selling point for companies that are nervous.
“It’s a little bigger than your usual path. But certainly for an early adopter market, when you bet your entire infrastructure on the reliability of these cars, it’s the right thing to do,” said Rachad Youseef, product manager of BrightDrop said.
The scope also allows for multiple delivery shifts. Instead of charging a vehicle after one shift, it can be redeployed after a driver change without having to sit still while charging. After all, time is money. Youseef expects that, in the future, companies will order lower range vehicles as they catch up to the use of these delivery vehicles in their fleets. Smaller batteries mean less money and weight.
However, estimating efficiency requires some work, as BrightDrop will not share battery capacity information. That’s not too surprising considering GMcautiously disclose the total capacity of Hummer EVs. What we do know is that it uses 20 Ultium modules. Meanwhile, the Hummer EV uses 24 of them.
Some quick math based on the EPA documentation shows The usable capacity of the Hummer EV is 212.7 kilowatt-hours. Based on that number, the capacity utilization of each Ultium module is about 8.9 kWh. With 20 modules on board, the Zevo 600 has an estimated capacity of 178 kWh, although it could be slightly higher based on its charge. To stay on the road, the truck has a built-in AC charger that supports 11.5 kW and can support DC fast charging up to 120 kW. In the best charging case, BrightDrop says the car can go from 0-100% in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Interestingly, the Zevo 600 is actually the first Ultium-based GM vehicle to run on public roads. Despite using the same electrical architecture as the Hummer, the Zevo 600 beats it electric truck go out.
Of course, the Zevo 600 is huge in its own right. The cargo area and aisles from the cabin are tall enough to accommodate a 6-foot, 3-inch frame without any problems or, more importantly, can sink at any moment. This is suitable for modern, high-top trucks such as Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprint. The steps to get on and off the car are also deeper than usual and have a trunk ready for storage.
As you enter the cargo area, motion-activated LEDs illuminate the space. These sensors also play an important role in cargo security. They are used in a locked vehicle to set the van’s alarm and notify the driver via a companion app when tripped.
In-valve technology also includes some familiar displays. The infotainment system and instrument cluster display have a layout consistent with the Hummer EV as both run the Android Automotive operating system. BrightDrop notes that the current interface is likely to be replaced in the future with screens specifically for the Zevo 600.
Overall, the Zevo 600 feels like an EV delivery van that will keep both the customer company and their drivers happy when making the switch to tram. It’s impressive that GM claims that the Zevo 600 was developed in just 20 months. Therefore, it is the fastest commercial vehicle in GM history. However, it seems to be making an impression.
According to BrightDrop, 25,000 bookings have been made in the past year. Customers including FedEx, Walmart and Verizon are waiting for their trucks, and current low-volume production will be replaced with full production at GM’s CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, in the fourth quarter. this year.
This must be good news not only for those big corporations but also for those who happily wave at an electric truck they’ve never seen before because it’s exactly what they needed.
