GM Ultium news: Hummer EV production and BrightDrop deliveries to FedEx

GM has announced the big news regarding electric vehicles based on its Ultium platform. The automaker has confirmed the deliveries of its next-generation electric vehicles, including the Hummer EV Edition 1 pickup and the BrightDrop EV600 light commercial vehicle. Both of those vehicles are built on the Ultium Platform, GM’s dedicated EV architecture and propulsion system that will be the underpinnings of all of its future electric vehicles.

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With federal mandates looming large, all automakers, including GM, are pushing hard into the electric vehicle market. General Motors has promised 30 new electric vehicles planned to launch globally through 2025. That’s a tall order considering it is only about three years away at this point.

With 30 electric vehicles available globally, GM has promised that two-thirds of those will be available in North America. The Ultium Platform promises competitive range, performance, and integration of components compared to designs that simply retrofit electric motors and components into existing vehicles. Retrofitting electric components into an existing vehicle is what Ford did with its F-150 Lightning.

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By using a common platform for multiple vehicles across GM brands, the automaker is reducing how many parts configurations are used, helping to improve profitability. Profitability for automakers is important because the more profitable electric vehicles are, the more competition there will be, and better pricing will be available for consumers.

BrightDrop EV600

All you have to do is look out your window on any given day, and you’re sure to see delivery vehicles from Amazon, FedEx, and UPS cruising the roads all around your city no matter where you live. One thing that’s common is that those delivery vehicles today use combustion engines, most of them powered by diesel. Amazon is making big strides with Rivian and has secured all Rivian electric delivery vehicle production for the foreseeable future, leaving rival package delivery firms looking at their electric options.

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GM has announced that it has delivered the first 500 EV600 electric vehicles to FedEx. GM says those electric delivery vans are the fastest vehicles GM has ever produced from concept to market. While automakers are pushing hard to produce vehicles that pollute less, companies such as FedEx that operate massive delivery fleets are also being pushed hard to move to zero emissions alternatives.

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Taking delivery of the first 500 EV600 delivery vehicles puts FedEx on a path to reach its goal of making its entire global operation carbon neutral by 2040. GM says EV600 has the best attributes of traditional and step-in vans, focusing on driver safety, comfort, and convenience. Interestingly, GM and FedEx have offered no indication of exactly how far these vehicles will drive on a full charge.

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GMC Hummer EV

While announcing that it has delivered the first 500 EV600 electric delivery vehicles, GM has also confirmed that the first 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickups have been produced at its Factory ZERO. GM says that deliveries of the anticipated electric SUV are now ready to begin. Like the electric delivery vehicle, the Hummer EV is based on the Ultium platform.

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With vehicles now ready for delivery, it means the lucky buyer of the Barrett Jackson auction for VIN 001 can now take delivery of their vehicle. The auction benefited the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and when the hammer finally fell, it sold for $2.5 million. The anonymous buyer’s vehicle has a white exterior and a Lunar Horizon interior. It’s also fitted with the Extreme Off-Road Package featuring under-body armor, underbody cameras, 18-inch wheels, and 35-inch off-road tires.

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The most impressive part about the Hummer EV is that it has 1000 horsepower and promises 11,500 pound-feet of torque. Despite being a massive electric vehicle, it’s able to reach 60 mph from a standstill in three seconds and has a 350-mile driving range. It also has a unique crabwalk feature making the big vehicle more maneuverable on the trails.

Edition 1 Hummer EVs rolling off the assembly line have an Interstellar White exterior and Lunar Horizon interior. The starting MSRP is $110,295. The vehicle also has Super Cruise, which is what GM calls its hands-free driving system. Super Cruise works on more than 200,000 miles of enabled roads around the country and has an automatic lane changing feature. GMC sold all of the Edition 1 models, but it points out reservations are still available for other Hummer models.

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Interestingly, GM and Ford fought a short legal battle in court over the “cruise” portion of the Super Cruise name. Ford debuted its own driver-assist technology called BlueCruise and GM took exception to that. GM demanded that Ford cease using the word “cruise” as GM claimed it owned a trademark on it. Ford was quick to point out that “cruise” had been used to describe driver assistance systems for decades and that GM was far from the first to use it. Eventually, the two settled the spat out of court and each continued to use their respective “cruise” technologies.