• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: The Car That Started a ’70s Car Design Craze
  • Inflation Reduction Act Paying Off as Battery Makers Invest Billions in U.S. Factories
  • Back in Production, Ford Again Raises Pricing for F-150 Lightning.
  • First Look: 2024 Hyundai Sonata
  • Despite Two Decades of Warnings, Distracted Driving Remains a Major Problem
  • Treasury Dept Ruling Expected to Cut EV Tax Credits
  • Sen. Manchin Threatening to Sue Over New EV Battery Rules
  • Ford Bolsters EV Supply Chain with $4.5B Nickel Processing Plant
  • Unified UAW Talks Tough Before Contract Talks with Detroit Three
  • Faraday Future May Have One: Production Begins
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Soul GT-Line
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor
    • A Week With: 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S
    • A Week With: 2023 Infiniti QX80
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV80 Prestige 3.5 Turbo
    • First Drive: 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T
    • First Drive: 2023 Dodge Hornet GT
    • First Drive: 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
    • First Drive: 2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce AWD
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > GM Farms Out Early Production of Electric Vans

        GM Farms Out Early Production of Electric Vans

        Canadian plant not ready to build EV600.

        Michael Strong
        Michael Strong , Managing Editor
        July 12, 2021

        General Motors plans to invest $787 million to build its new commercial electric van, the EV600, aren’t moving quickly enough to satisfy one of its high-profile customers so it’s turning to a German company to produce a limited run of the vehicles.

        BrightDrop EV600
        Powered by the Ultium battery system, the BrightDrop EV600 is targeted to have an estimated range of up to 250 miles.

        The automaker is using auto parts supplier Kuka to manufacture the first run of production vans for FedEx. The goal is to get road-ready vehicles to the logistics giant by the end of this year.

        The move, which isn’t uncommon for passenger cars (i.e. Magna will build the Fisker Ocean EV), mirrors a move by California-based EV maker Canoo, which is partnering with Netherlands-based VDL Nedcar to build its “Lifestyle” vehicle. 

        The big difference is GM plans to shift full-time production to its former CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The new van made its debut in January.

        Meeting customer demand

        “We are working alongside Kuka for initial low-volume production to keep up with market demand and remain on track to deliver our first EV600 order later this year,” Travis Katz, CEO of GM’s BrightDrop division, told Reuters.

        Kuka will build about 500 of the vehicles — by hand — to meet demand for the vehicles. The company will produce them at its facility in Livonia, Michigan starting in October, Reuters reported.

        Currently the CAMI plant builds the Chevrolet Equinox, which is the company’s top-selling sport-utility vehicle and second-best selling vehicle overall trailing only the Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup.

        Amazon Rivian electric delivery van
        The electric delivery van is a hot market with plenty of competitors. Rivian will build 10,000 of the Amazon electric vans by 2022.

        This requires some reconfiguring of the company’s manufacturing footprint, GM noted last month. In order to meet the demand for the EVs, it plans to stop Equinox production next April. The conversion should be complete for production of the EV600 to begin in earnest in late October or early November 202.

        Initially the plant will run one shift, but the forecast calls for two shifts in 2023 and three shifts the following year. Much of that will depend on demand for the vehicles.

        Vans are a hot market

        GM’s push to get vans on the road quickly — even assuming possible risks due to contracting the build out to Kuka — is a sign of just how competitive the segment is. 

        The EV600 is part of a very crowded field facing competition like the Mercedes e-Sprinter, Rivan’s new all-electric delivery van, Fiat’s new E-Ducato and the king of the segment, Ford and its E-Transit model.

        But it’s not just the big names looking to make inroads in the segment, GM’s competing with fringe players like Silicon Valley’s Canoo, Ohio’s Workhorse Group and the even smaller Arrival, which uses “microfactories,” ditching the traditional assembly line approach vehicle manufacturing.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: The Car That Started a ’70s Car Design Craze

        Today
        Ultium Battery Pack

        Inflation Reduction Act Paying Off as Battery Makers Invest Billions in U.S. Factories

        Yesterday
        2022 Ford F-150 Lightning - muddy on trail

        Back in Production, Ford Again Raises Pricing for F-150 Lightning.

        Yesterday

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: