April 12, 2023

Ryder will add BrightDrop vans to fleet

Emily Atkins

Ryder System, Inc. plans to introduce 4,000 BrightDrop Zevo 600 and Zevo 400 electric vans to its lease and rental fleet through 2025.

The first 200 vans will be ordered this year. Ryder plans to deploy model year 2023 Zevo 600 electric vans in its rental fleet in California, Dallas-Fort Worth, and New York City later this year.

The new 2024 Zevo 600 and Zevo 400 models for lease and rental customers are expected to be available as early as summer 2023 and into the first quarter of 2024.

Electrifying lease and rental vehicles can have a significant impact on transportation-related emissions, said Steve Hornyak, chief commercial officer for BrightDrop. “Ryder’s plan to introduce 4,000 of our electric vans to their fleet shows their commitment to sustainable options for customers, and their confidence that BrightDrop will help them deliver on that.”

The Zevo 600 and Zevo 400 electric vans boast a range of up to 250 miles (400 km) on a full charge, and can support a payload of about 2,000 to 3,400 pounds (900 to 1,360 kg). The Zevo 600 has a cargo capacity of over 600 cubic feet (1,700 litres) and Zevo 400 manages 400 cubic feet (11,300 litres).

“We aim to make fleet electrification as seamless as possible by investing in alternative vehicle solutions to offer sustainable and economic advantages for our customers,” said Tom Havens, president of fleet management solutions for Ryder.

“Ryder continues to be at the forefront of identifying advanced and emerging vehicle technology by serving as an extended research and development arm for its customers.”

Brightdrop manufactures the vans at the former GM Cami plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. When production launched in December 2022, the company already had 25,000 vans on order from customers like FedEx and DHL Canada along with giants like Walmart, Hertz, and Verizon.

“We are excited to focus on providing additional light duty EVs in our Ryder rental and lease fleets in 2023,” adds Carlo Rodriguez, group director for advanced vehicle technology for Ryder. “At Ryder, we want to help customers meet their sustainability, compliance, and operational goals through advanced vehicle technology solutions, and BrightDrop’s electric vans help us do just that.”