General Motors confirmed the end of production of the BrightDrop electric delivery van built at CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, Ontario.
The Canadian plant is the only facility that builds the BrightDrop, and in a release, GM said the “BrightDrop production will not be moved to another site”—meaning the van is entirely gone, rather than moved to a south-of-the-border plant to avoid tariffs.
The commercial electric delivery van market developed much slower than expected with the plant operating below capacity and production suspended since May 2025. A changing regulatory environment and the elimination of tax credits in the United States have made the business even more challenging. The decision is part of broader adjustments the company is making to North America EV capacity.
“The decision to end production of the BrightDrop electric delivery van is driven by market demand and in no way reflects the commitment and skill of our workforce at CAMI,” said Kristian Aquilina, president and managing director of GM Canada. “This continues to be an uncertain time for our workforce at CAMI, and we are committed to working closely with our employees, Unifor and the Canadian and Ontario governments as we evaluate next steps for the future of CAMI.”
BrightDrop launched at the 2021 CES as a fully-owned subsidiary of General Motors. It wasn’t just about the boxy electric van; the company’s vision was to be a full-service solution for delivery fleets. This included developing electric pallets to move goods to and from the van, alongside a software suite to manage deliveries and charging.
FedEx Express was the first major customer, contracting to purchase the initial 500 vans. It was initially rumored that the vans would be built at GM’s Hamtramck facility in Michigan. This plant is now known as Factory Zero and produces GM’s high-profile electric trucks: the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, as well as the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Escalade IQ.
The first FedEx vans were actually produced at a temporary Detroit-area facility, and FedEx later ordered an additional 2,000 units. The expected move into Factory Zero never happened. Instead, GM relocated Equinox production from Ontario to Mexico, and subsequently moved the equipment from the temporary Detroit facility to the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.
The BrightDrop van is built on GM’s flexible Ultium electric platform, which powers all of its new EVs. A key element of the plan was for CAMI’s dedicated battery-module assembly line to supply the vans built there and supplement battery production for other GM plants.
While BrightDrop began as its own distinct brand, the planned electric pallets and software packages never came to fruition. Ultimately, in 2024, the BrightDrop van was integrated into the company’s main lineup, officially becoming a Chevrolet product.
