FedEx will soon start making deliveries using electric vans from GM

• FedEx received the first electric delivery vans from GM's BrightDrop.
• The EV600 goes 250 miles on a charge and has 600 cubic feet of cargo space.

FedEx received the first electric delivery vans from BrightDrop, a new electric logistics and delivery business out of General Motors. It's a major milestone in both giants' efforts to electrify their businesses.

FedEx took delivery of five BrightDrop EV600 vehicles at a FedEx Express facility in Inglewood, California, where they'll be housed and operated. The vans are the first of 500 FedEx has ordered from the company.

—FedEx (@FedEx) December 17, 2021

The package-handling giant says its first five BrightDrop vans will start making deliveries soon. The vans are a key part of FedEx's plan to convert its global delivery and pickup fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. It is building electric-vehicle chargers across its facilities to support battery-powered additions to its fleet.

The EV600, BrightDrop's larger vehicle offering, promises a range of 250 miles, 600 cubic feet of cargo space, and the ability to recoup 170 miles of range each hour when plugged into a DC fast charger. It will be widely available to buy in 2022.

BrightDrop, which spun out of GM in January as part of the automaker's $35 billion investment in electric and autonomous technologies through 2025, will also sell a smaller delivery van called the EV410, a motorized pallet, logistics software to support fleet owners.

Commercial fleets are seen as great candidates for electrification for a handful of reasons. EVs need less to maintenance than gas vehicles, fleet owners typically have a facility where vehicles can plug in overnight, and fleet vehicles drive a predictable amount each day, so range is less of an issue.

GM is just one player in the burgeoning market for battery-powered delivery vehicles. EV startup Rivian plans to build 100,000 electric vans for Amazon, which is a major investor. Ford's E-Transit van is scheduled to launch next year. Startups like Canoo, Bollinger, and Arrival are working on vans too, and the latter has an order of 10,000 vehicles from UPS.