If FedEx were to try its hand with the U.S.’s first electric vehicle, it’s unlikely the company would have much luck. Introduced by Iowa chemist William Morrison around 1890, the six-passenger electrified wagon topped out at a speed of 14 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
With the EVs of today, however, FedEx has found success — and it just took part in a record-breaking trip.
Recently, FedEx and BrightDrop — General Motors’ electric delivery and logistics business — set the Guinness World Records mark for the longest distance traveled by an electric van on a single charge. In a FedEx-branded Zevo 600 — BrightDrop’s electric light commercial vehicle — a driver named Stephen Marlin delivered a shipment of sustainable cleaning products from New York City to Washington, D.C.
The total distance was nearly 260 miles.
“FedEx is proud to be a part of this record-setting moment as we work toward our goal of achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2040,” said FedEx chief sustainability officer Mitch Jackson, in a press release. “Electrifying our entire parcel pick up and delivery fleet is a crucial component of that goal. We’re thrilled BrightDrop is bringing real solutions to the market that can help us get there.”
FedEx subsidiary FedEx Express was announced as BrightDrop’s first customer in January 2021; and it received its first five Zevo 600s — then known as the EV600s — in December 2021. These were part of an order of 500 vehicles; and in January 2022, the company signed an agreement with BrightDrop that reserved priority production for another 2,000.
The company is also set to add up to 20,000 more in the coming years, pending further negotiations and execution of a definitive purchase agreement.
The Zevo 600s are zero-emission vehicles designed to deliver goods and services over long ranges, and have safety and convenience features more common in consumer electric cars. Powered by the Ultium battery system, each has more than 600 feet of cargo space; a 3.4-inch-diagonal infotainment screen; front sliding pocket doors; wide cabin walkways; a cargo area security system with motion sensors; and a large cargo bulkhead door that opens automatically.
