Last Mile Delivery Evs Are Rolling Out, Gm Just Broke a Record, and the Governors in the Breadbasket of America Are Teaming Up to Increase Accessibility of Electric Vehicles in Their States

Lots has been happening in the world of last mile delivery EVs this week - that’s our JAM here at Fluid Truck! Let’s get into it!

The First Ever Commercial Class 1 EVs are Here

On September 29th, Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc, (ELMS) made their first shipment of class 1 EVs from its production facility in Indiana, making them the first company to launch EVs of this kind in the United States. (FYI - a class 1 vehicle is a vehicle that weighs less than 6,000 lbs - think SUVs, pickup trucks, and utility vans. The vehicles on our platform are class 2 and 3!)

This is a big step forward for last mile delivery moving towards EV adoption. “This launch and delivery marks a key milestone for Electric Last Mile Solutions, our partners, and our shareholders. We are now delivering our transformative and sustainable EV solutions to commercial customers and solidifying our first-mover status in the segment,” said James Taylor, ELMS Co-Founder and CEO. 

Bright Drop Breaks a GM Record

Bright Drop, a last mile delivery solutions company, announced the completion of their EV600 vehicle in a move that set a record: The build completion is the fastest General Motors has ever been able to produce a vehicle and push it to market. Despite supply chains and shortages, Bright Drop was able to produce their EV600 in just 20 months. 

Great news for Fleet Managers on this one - the vehicles are supposed to be ready to go for FedEx’s busy season with the holidays coming up. 

Midwest is Best! Midwest Governors are Teaming Up for Increasing Charging Infrastructure

The governors of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois have set a precedent of support for regional charging infrastructure by launching a plan called REV Midwest - the Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition. The plan aims to improve the economy, reduce emissions, create jobs, and improve public health. 

This agreement will accelerate medium and heavy duty fleet electrification in the five states by sharing best practices to ensure grid resilience, coordinating and developing the workforce necessary, and will strive to expand charging infrastructure across all communities.

We love cross-state cooperation! Many states across the country have put plans in place to expand their EV programs or increase EV adoption, but this is the first cross-state agreement of its kind. More of this, please!