GM’s BrightDrop Begins Production of Electric Delivery Vans at Canadian Plant

INGERSOLL, Ontario – The first BrightDrop Zevo 600 rolled off the production line Monday at the CAMI Assembly plant, Canada’s first full-scale electric-vehicle manufacturing plant.

BrightDrop, a General Motors subsidiary, also announced the start of commercial operations in Canada, with DHL set to be the company’s first Canadian customer.

“This milestone represents GM at our best – fast, flexible and first in the industry,” Mark Reuss, General Motors’ president, said in a news release. “The BrightDrop Zevo is a prime example of GM’s flexible Ultium EV architecture, which is allowing us to quickly launch a full range of electric vehicles for our customers,” Reuss said.

GM began retooling the CAMI plant for electric vehicle production May 1, installing new production equipment covering 2 million square feet.

“This is a very exciting moment – a revolution in the way we transport people and goods,” said Travis Katz, BrightDrop president and CEO. Today marks a huge day for BrightDrop, as we expand our footprint and begin producing the Zevo electric vans at scale, and a huge milestone for Canada on the road to a brighter future.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined representatives from GM and BrightDrop for the opening of the plant today.“Opening the CAMI plant is a major step in providing EVs at scale and delivering real results to the world’s biggest brands, like DHL Express, who will be our first Canadian customer,” Katz said.

BrightDrop completed delivery of the first Zevo 600s to FedEx last year.

Pictured at top: A BrightDrop Zevo 600. (BrightDrop)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.