BrightDrop Opens New Office In Palo Alto
BrightDrop has set up a new office in Palo Alto, California. Makes sense given that the CEO and President has called BrightDrop “a technology company at our core."
BrightDrop, General Motors’ new electric delivery solutions start-up business, has announced that it is opening a new office Palo Alto, located in Northern California.
“Choosing the world’s innovation hub as home to our newest location makes sense as we add to our existing U.S. presence in Atlanta and Detroit,” writes BrightDrop CEO and President Travis Katz in a recent social media post. “Tech hotbeds have sprung up across the country since Silicon Valley’s early days. But Palo Alto’s restless energy and creativity continues to attract top engineering, tech and entrepreneurial minds from around the world who are drawn to driving monumental change.”
According to Katz, BrightDrop is “a technology company at our core,” and thus, would benefit from access to the talent in and around Silicon Valley. BrightDrop employs roughly 150 workers, with plans to bring on hundreds more at its three locations across the U.S.
General Motors officially launched BrightDrop early in 2021 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), announcing plans to develop a range of last-mile electric delivery solutions, software, and other services for delivery and logistics companies. The first BrightDrop product to market was the BrightDrop EP1, an electrically assisted cargo pallet designed to quickly and easily move goods over short distances, carrying upwards of 23 cubic-feet of cargo and 200 pounds at speeds up to 3 mph.
BrightDrop has also launched the new BrightDrop EV600, an all-electric light commercial van utilizing GM’s latest Ultium battery technology and Ultium drive motor tech. The EV600 features an estimated range-per-charge 250 miles, with more than 600 cubic feet available in the rear cargo area. Peak charging via a 120kW DC quick-charge outlet nets up to 170 miles of range per hour. The EV600 also includes a wealth of standard safety tech features, such as Front and Rear Park Assist, Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, and Lane Keep Assist.
The BrightDrop EV600 is the fastest-developed GM vehicle in history, taking just 20 months to complete. The first units were delivered last December. Current BrightDrop customers include FedEx, Walmart, and Verizon.
