Chevy gains a new EV commercial van: GM’s BrightDrop

Chevy is expanding its EV portfolio with electric commercial vans. GM announced it’s moving BrightDrop under the Chevrolet brand. The move comes after rival Ford revealed plans for a new “digitally advanced” commercial EV van as part of its shifting electrified strategy.

Chevy will sell GM’s Brightdrop EV vans

GM is moving BrightDrop EVs to Chevy’s commercial sales network as it looks to increase sales and challenge Ford, Rivian, and others in the electric van space.

BrightDrop was launched in January 2021 as a standalone brand focused on commercial EVs. In 2023, the company was integrated into GM Envolve, its fleet business. Now, it will be sold under Chevy.

The brand has two electric vans, the 400 and 600 models, that major transport companies like FedEx, Ryder, and DHL are already using.

However, GM believes the EVs will sell better under the Chevy brand. GM’s statement on Thursday read:

Adding BrightDrop’s electric vans to the expanding Chevrolet EV portfolio will give BrightDrop customers access to one of the industry’s largest and most extensive commercial sales and service networks and enhances brand growth opportunities.

The electric vans will now be known as the Chevrolet 400 and 600. Chevrolet’s Vice President Scott Bell said that by adding Brightdrop to the lineup, “we are combining advanced EV technology with the dependability and widespread accessibility that only Chevrolet can offer.”

GM will still build the commercial electric vans at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.

Electrek’s Take

The announcement comes after Ford revealed plans to launch a new digital advanced commercial van in 2026. Ford already has the best-selling van in the US with the Transit and E-Transit.

In the second quarter, Ford’s Transit and E-Series combined accounted for half of the full-size commercial van segment in the US.

Ford sold 6,301 E-Transit vans through the first six months of the year, up 116% from 2023. In comparison, GM sold 746 BrightDrop electric vans through June 2024.

At the end of Q2, the Ford Pro Intelligence software platform had around 600,000 subscribers, up 33% from last year.

GM hopes that moving its EV vans under the Chevy brand will challenge Ford and others like Rivian, which sells electric vans to Amazon.