GM announced on Friday that it plans to produce the EV600 electric van at its plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, starting in late 2021.
The EV600 was unveiled earlier this week as part of a new commercial vehicle unit BrightDrop, and the production announcement channels $ 800 million into the factory, under a provisional agreement with the Unifor union and including government support not yet. detailed.
BrightDrop EV600
With a range of 250 miles, 120 kw DC fast charging for up to 170 miles of additional range per hour, weight ratings below 10,000 pounds and active safety features that closely mimic what is offered in the latest passenger cars, it is designed as a delivery device for fleets in the metropolitan area.
GM showed a motorized delivery pallet / cabinet designed for use with the EV600 and said there are two other vehicles under development as part of the new brand, which will include asset management and fleet management software for companies. FedEx will receive the van and pallet by the end of the year.
BrightDrop EP1
The announcement of the EV600 will make the factory one of the first volume production EV facilities in Canada for passenger cars or light commercial vehicles, but it will not be the only one. Ford confirmed plans to build several electric vehicles at its Oakville, Ontario plant, beginning in the mid-decade.
The union also said a deal last year with Fiat Chrysler included plug-in hybrids and all-electric models.
CAMI previously manufactured the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, and several previous products included the Suzuki Sidekick and what was for one leg the most fuel efficient car offered on the American market, the Geo Metro. It was originally a factory jointly owned by Suzuki and GM, but Suzuki withdrew from the operation with the discontinuation of its XL7 SUV in 2009. Since a restructuring announced in 2018 that included the discontinuation of a series of passenger car models , including the Volt, the plant has been underutilized