GM’s Ultium revolution was a bold move to leverage EV technology and economies of scale to blanket the market with various electric vehicles. We’ve all seen the latest electric cars from Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC, but did you know that the General started an electric van division from scratch?  Yup, way up in Canada at its Ingersoll, Ontario factory, GM quietly began assembling clean-slate electric vans and christened them, BrightDrop.

This is part of GM’s quest to clean up the “last mile” segment of the delivery chain with a purpose-built EV van. So far, GM has sold almost 800 units. BrightDrop vans are a common sight in Southern California, but with the stilted EV market, the factory, which can produce 50,000 units a year, is darn near idle.

A rebrand was in order and now BrightDrop will be folded into Chevrolet and its almost 3,000 dealers coast to coast. The electric brand will now be known as Chevrolet BrightDrop.

BrightDrop emerged from GM’s EV thinktank in 2021. The goal was clear: revolutionize urban logistics by providing efficient, sustainable solutions for the last stop of the delivery process. Today, more than ever, vans and light trucks will be a key factor in the electric revolution as fleet adoption makes a lot of sense for many businesses and municipalities. Think police and emergency vehicles, not to mention small businesses like plumbers, delivery services, and contractors.

The BrightDrop lineup consisted of two models: the Zevo 400 and Zevo 600. These weren’t your typical white-box delivery vans — they were clean-sheet, and whisper-quiet. The Zevo 400, with a payload capacity of 400 cubic feet, aimed to redefine efficiency. Meanwhile, the Zevo 600, with its larger cargo space, targeted heavier-duty applications. Both vans shared a common DNA: electric propulsion, advanced safety features, and connectivity that allowed fleet managers to optimize routes and monitor performance.

Fast-forward, and the landscape has shifted. BrightDrop, while promising, faced challenges. Revenue projections fell short, and the brand struggled to gain traction independently.

Starting with the 2025 model year, the Zevo 400 and Zevo 600 will adopt their new identity. Say hello to the Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 and 600 vans. Imagine walking into your local Chevy dealership and seeing these electric workhorses lined up alongside the Silverado and Equinox. It’s gets them in front of more eyeballs and prospective buyers.

But there’s a catch. To sell and service these electric vans, dealers need to get certified. That means investing in specialized equipment, training technicians, and embracing the electric future. The number of certified dealers will determine how widely available these vans become.

As the new Chevrolet BrightDrop vans hit the streets, they will cruise around neighborhoods and contribute to cleaner air, reduced noise levels, and efficient deliveries. Fleet operators can now choose a Chevrolet van that aligns with their environmental goals. As consumers, we’ll notice the shift — the familiar bowtie emblem on spacey vans weaving through traffic will introduce these vehicles to millions of people.

The journey from BrightDrop to Chevrolet is complete. GM’s commitment to electrification goes beyond just passenger cars. It is now making an attractive pitch for electric vehicles to the backbone of commerce. So, the next time you see a Chevrolet BrightDrop van, remember you’re seeing a piece of the electric revolution, inching us closer to a greener, quieter, and more efficient world.

Electrified Mag’s Take

Chevrolet and GMC have been conspicuously absent from the gas-swilling Eurovan invasion of the last decade. See Sprinter, Promaster, and Transit. The Chevy Express and GMC Savanna ICE vans were given a stay of execution recently and we were perplexed. Although GM missed the boat on new-age vans (and the RV industry that buys thousands) we thought they were in an advantageous position to leapfrog the competition with a clean-sheet EV Van.

Now that BrightDrop is being folded into Chevrolet, we can see GMs bigger picture for its future vans. Although the 400 and 600 models would be perfect for RV conversions, let’s keep our fingers crossed for a smaller model that could be a modern version of a surf van or garageable all-electric RV. We’d definitely say “Take our money…” For more info, go here.