General Motors has some exciting new electric vehicles coming, including the utilitarian Chevrolet Silverado 1500 EV and the luxurious Cadillac Lyriq. But equally important in the push towards a zero-emission future is GM's new BrightDrop division. Announced at CES 2021, BrightDrop will build all-electric delivery vans that have already been ordered by companies such as Walmart. To prove that its Zevo 600 van is ready for duty, BrightDrop partnered with FedEX for a Guinness World Record run: the longest distance traveled by an electric van on a single charge.

"Since the beginning, the Zevo 600 has been a record-setting vehicle. Now we're seeing firsthand what BrightDrop can do by pairing our zero-operating-emissions technology with FedEx, a leader in the transportation and delivery industry," said BrightDrop president and CEO, Travis Katz. "Having a long battery range with reliable power is critical to electrifying delivery fleets everywhere. This special delivery highlights our products' advanced capabilities and our mission to decarbonize deliveries."

The driver Stephen Marlin took the Zevo 600 from New York City to Washington, DC, stopping at landmarks in Philadelphia and Baltimore along the way. Though BrightDrop rates the van with a 250-mile range, it was able to cover 260 miles without charging. The Zevo 600 finished the trip while delivering Full Circle sustainable cleaning products from the company's headquarters to a MOM's Organic Market location.

"We started Full Circle Brands to reinvent cleaning and make home care products that are better for the world," said co-founder and CEO, Full Circle Brands, Tal Chitayat. "We are thrilled to further that mission with our friends at FedEx as part of this world-changing milestone in sustainable deliveries with BrightDrop."

BrightDrop delivered its first vehicles to FedEx in December 2021, after completing the production builds in just 20 months, the quickest vehicle to market in GM's long history. The company has already taken more than 25,000 production reservations, including 2,500 from FedEx.

FedEx targets carbon-neutral operations by 2040, using vehicles like the Zevo 600 (currently in production) and an upcoming smaller model.

GM will face stiff competition from Amazon-backed Rivian and Bollinger, but it seems BrightDrop has the early advantage.