Walmart has announced a partnership with General Motors to use its electric vehicles as customer delivery vans.
GM manufactures electric vans under the Chevrolet BrightDrop brand. It first struck a deal with Walmart in 2022 for the vans to be used in a pilot program for deliveries.
The Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 electric vans will now be a permanent part of Walmart's InHome delivery fleet. The vans feature a 360-degree HD camera, a steering assist function, automatic closing doors, and a low-step ergonomic design.
GM said the retailer's use of EVs will "help reduce carbon emissions and provide drivers with safe, efficient, and comfortable vehicles."
Walmart said the vans will be used in Austin, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, northwest Arkansas, Orlando, and the San Francisco Bay area, expanding the InHome delivery program to 62 million households.
GM moved the BrightDrop subsidiary to operate under Chevrolet earlier this year. Making it a part of a well-known brand like Chevrolet will make it more competitive with fellow commercial EV manufacturers such as Ford and Rivian. BrightDrop already provides vehicles for FedEx, Ryder, and Yoshi Mobility among others.
The widespread adoption of EVs by a major nationwide retailer like Walmart will have a positive impact on both the consumer and the environment.
The BrightDrop vans are designed for commercial use to move and deliver goods quickly and efficiently. That could mean shorter delivery windows and cheaper fees. More EVs on the road replacing gas-powered cars will also reduce carbon emissions and noise pollution.
"Our BrightDrop vans are purpose-built to get the job done safely and efficiently while helping businesses like Walmart decarbonize their fleet," said Sandor Piszar, vice president at GM Envolve. "The pilot program demonstrates that at the forefront of our design are the hard-working drivers that deliver goods and services to customers every day."
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"With a focus on being people-led and tech-powered, we're always looking for ways to enhance the associate experience and provide the best possible service to our customers. That's why we're so excited about the addition of the BrightDrop 400 to our InHome delivery fleet," said Warren Moore, vice president of dedicated delivery at Walmart U.S. "During the pilot, we listened closely to our InHome associates' feedback and were impressed by the vans' performance in real-world scenarios."
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