Shift Magazine - March 2021 - S16

Q&A
T

ravis Katz - after stints with
MySpace, a venture capital firm
and travel companies - aims to
electrify and connect automotive
fleets as CEO of BrightDrop, an electric
vehicle-powered goods and delivery service launched by General Motors.
Today's vehicles are more high-tech
than ever, Katz said, and " the growing
importance of software is shaping how
these vehicles operate. "
BrightDrop, which will run out of offices
in Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta, will
sell the GM-built EV600 electric van and
EP1 electric pallet, which helps delivery
workers move goods short distances,
such as from the van to the customer's
door. BrightDrop also has a suite of software to predict maintenance requirements and locate and manage vehicles
remotely.
BrightDrop's launch is part of a broader
zero-emissions goal by GM. The automaker has said its entire lineup will be
electric by 2035.
Katz, 49, spoke with Staff Reporter
Hannah Lutz about the benefits of an electric
fleet, software capability within BrightDrop
and GM's choice to make BrightDrop a separate brand. Here are edited excerpts.

Q: WHY DID GM CHOOSE TO
LAUNCH BRIGHTDROP AS AN
INDEPENDENT BRAND?
A: The way that we're building products
is different. The kinds of products we're
developing is different. We're looking at
it from a more holistic point of view of,
" How do we really help delivery customers lower costs, maximize productivity, improve employee safety, as well
as support their overall efforts around
sustainability? "

shift * march 2021

WITH
TRAVIS KATZ

The EV600 delivery van
has a range of 250 miles,
BrightDrop's CEO says.

The CEO of GM's new BrightDrop
brand makes a case for a different
kind of electric delivery vehicle
ergonomically, which is super important
when a driver is getting in and out 150
times a day.
We've also reached a tipping point
where the total cost of ownership for
these vans is lower than it is for an internal combustion engine van.

Q: WHAT MAKES AN EV600
LESS EXPENSIVE THAN A
TRADITIONAL FLEET VAN?
A: The maintenance costs for electric

It really requires a different way of
thinking.

Q: YOU'VE ANNOUNCED TWO
MAJOR CUSTOMERS ALREADY:
500 VAN ORDERS FOR FEDEX
EXPRESS AND 12,600 ORDERS
FOR MERCHANTS FLEET, WHICH
HAS CLIENTS SUCH AS UPS AND
TERMINIX. WHY DO YOU THINK
THESE COMPANIES ARE EAGER
TO SIGN ON?
A: We have a number of other customers who have expressed interest as well.
I think the reason why is we spent a lot
of time purpose-building a vehicle that
was really targeting the last-mile delivery
customers. The EV600 has a range of
250 miles ... to really make sure that your
drivers never get to be stranded without
a battery.
We also built them with GM's Ultium
battery, which enables us to do a lower
cabin floor. It's easier for a driver to get
in and out. It has a lower step. It's better

vehicles are less than ICE vehicles, and
it's much less expensive to charge up
an electric vehicle than to fill it up with
diesel. There's also more efficient use of
energy. You have things like regenerative
braking. So per trip, every time you're sitting on the brake, it's actually recharging
as opposed to losing that energy as heat.

Q: HOW CAN YOU SHOW
CUSTOMERS THAT SWITCHING
THEIR FLEETS TO ELECTRIC IS
WORTHWHILE?
A: We are providing a whole suite of
services to help fleets with making the
transition to an all-electric future. We can
do everything from modeling your total
cost of ownership to helping you plan and
model for your charging needs. We've
gone through and assessed a number
of partners who we can help to connect
businesses with to establish their own
charging.
We have support for everything from
spare parts and maintenance. Part of
what we're trying to do is also make this
an easy transition. Electrification is new
for a lot of people and understanding how
this is going to work. We're there to help
customers make that transition seamlessly and make it a no-brainer. n

Shift Magazine - March 2021

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