... I take another cat nap, and we’re suddenly in Baltimore, doing another series of loops around Federal Hill Park. There are 134 miles left on the battery. That’s when I see the ghostly Rivian. I imagine a future in which an Amazon delivery van (made by Rivian) passes a FedEx van (made by BrightDrop), both silently in service to a world reshaped by e-commerce.The pandemic has fueled a boom in home delivery. Experts predict that the number of delivery vehicles in the largest 100 cities around the world will increase by 36 percent over the next decade. More trucks equal more tailpipe pollution, at least 36 percent or 6 million tons, according to the World Economic Forum.
On the way to our final stop in Washington, DC, I get a call from Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer at FedEx. FedEx has been on the hunt for a reliable EV supplier for a long time, he tells me. The company had a deal with erstwhile EV startup Chanje to buy 1,000 electric delivery vans but was left in the lurch when Chanje failed to make good on its promise. (FedEx is now suing Chanje, which ran out of money and officially shut down last year.) BrightDrop, as a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, is more to FedEx’s liking as a partner.
Jackson notes that what we’re doing right now — driving an electric van from New York City to DC to deliver one package — is not FedEx’s standard practice. The delivery company would use a semi truck to deliver many thousands of packages to one of its distribution hubs and then use the electric van for the last-mile delivery. “But it’s indicative that the distance that this vehicle can travel will meet the vast needs of our route structure on a day-in and day-out basis,” he adds.
At 1:57PM, we arrive at Mom’s Organic in Washington, DC. There are 98 miles remaining in the battery, meaning the Zevo 600 will have enough range to make the last leg to the FedEx facility in the district before needing to charge. The film crew captures footage of Marlin “delivering” the packages to a smiling Mom’s employee.
The total distance for the trip is 258.85 miles — eight more miles than its rating. I sign a witness statement as an impartial observer for BrightDrop’s submission to the Guinness World Records. A spokesperson later informs me that the submission was accepted. Quick turnaround!
A real FedEx employee wanders over to where the van is parked, assuming Marlin is a co-worker. His name is William Jones, and he’s been driving for the company for 30 years. After getting a brief primer, he checks out Zevo 600’s cab and the cargo area, whistling his approval. He’s seen enough. He’s ready to go electric.
“In three years I can retire,” he tells me. “Hopefully I’ll get the chance to drive one of these before then.”
The BrightDrop crew is ecstatic. They film his every move and then have him sign a waiver so they can use his image in their sizzle reel. Jones shrugs. Why the hell not. He’s retiring soon anyway.
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