Amazon is testing over a dozen BrightDrop electric vans from General Motors.
The company already operates more than 25,000 Rivian-built EVs.
GM paused BrightDrop van production in Ontario due to slow sales.
Amazon is testing electric delivery vans from General Motors’ BrightDrop unit, looking to expand the variety of vehicles in its sustainability-focused delivery network. The trial is part of the e-commerce company’s goal to deploy 100,000 electric vehicles by the end of this decade.
The company said more than a dozen 2024 BrightDrop vans, sold by GM in 2023, are being tested alongside a fleet that already includes electric vehicles from Rivian. Amazon began rolling out electric delivery vans in 2022 and is pursuing a company-wide target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Amazon is Rivian’s largest shareholder, holding a 16% stake in the electric vehicle manufacturer. Over 25,000 Rivian-built vans are currently in service for the company. A spokesperson for Amazon said testing additional vehicle options is routine and does not affect its relationship with Rivian.
GM launched the BrightDrop electric van in 2021 and produces it at the CAMI EV Assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ontario. The plant, recognized as Canada’s first full-scale electric vehicle manufacturing site, has temporarily halted production until October due to slow demand. If Amazon decides to go forward with purchasing more BrightDrop vans, this could mean a great deal for the idled CAMI plant.
Source: USA Today
