General Motors ends BrightDrop production

A Chevrolet BrightDrop delivery van charges in Indiana the same week General Motors announced it would cease production of the slow-selling vehicle. (Photo: Chad Elmore)

General Motors will end of production of the BrightDrop electric walk-in van built at CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.

The company said the commercial electric delivery van market developed much slower than expected with the plant operating below capacity and production suspended since May 2025. 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.”

The Canadian and Ontario governments reportedly committed up to $259 million in 2022 to support GM’s EV work.

GM said it appreciated that support from Canadian and Ontario governments enabled investments in CAMI and is looking forward to engaging with its partners to have meaningful discussions about opportunities for the plant.

“Our Canadian operations continue to be a critical part of GM and our North America business,” said Aquilina. “We employ thousands of Canadians across our manufacturing facilities, a multi-campus advanced tech and software centre, parts distribution network, and corporate offices. For more than 100 years, GM has been designing, engineering and building vehicles in Canada and we intend to keep doing so.”

Production of the Brightdrop vans will not be moved elsewhere.

BrightDrop was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2021. In 2023, BrightDrop was integrated into GM Envolve, the company’s fleet business, which serves thousands of commercial and government customers of its battery- and engine-powered vehicles.

In August 2024 General Motors moved its BrightDrop electric commercial vans under the Chevrolet brand. The move was said to give BrightDrop customers access to one of the industry’s largest and most extensive commercial sales and service networks through select Chevrolet dealers.