• by Tanya Gazdik , June 14, 2023

FedEx Express Canada deployed its first 50 BrightDrop electric delivery vehicles in the field this week.

The introduction of BrightDrop’s Zevo 600 electric delivery vehicles is a step in the company’s goal to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles by 2040, according to FedEx.

General Motors created its electric delivery vehicle subsidiary in 2021. BrightDrop's list of commercial customers include Walmart, Hertz Global, DHL Express, Purolator, American Tire Distributors, WasteNot Compost, Rexel USA and Ryder.

This initial FedEx fleet will service Toronto, Montreal, and Surrey, British Columbia. FedEx Express Canada plans to expand its EV fleet footprint as additional charging infrastructure is implemented at FedEx locations across the country. 

Powered by General Motors’ Ultium Platform, the Zevo 600 is designed for last-mile deliveries, with an estimated range of up to 400 kilometers or about 250 miles on a full charge. 

These 50 EVs are part of a larger agreement between FedEx and BrightDrop that will see FedEx incorporate 2,500 total vehicles across FedEx operations in the coming years, including more than 400 vehicles that are already in operation in Southern California. 

To support the new vehicle technology, FedEx is installing charging infrastructure across its Canadian facilities, including the 80 charging stations the company has already installed in these three EV launch markets.

Just over two years after announcing its global target of achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2040, FedEx Corp. is working to deliver on that goal—thanks in part to local efforts spearheaded by FedEx Express Canada, which has been collaborating on testing other solutions to reduce its footprint in crowded urban centers, with the goal of helping to bring these innovations worldwide. 

Canada has one of the largest e-cargo bike fleets in the FedEx global network, with more than 40 e-bikes operating in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. It has also been piloting innovations like the BrightDrop Trace Move, an electric cart to assist couriers, in Toronto.