GM Cancels Production of BrightDrop Electric Vans

General Motors (GM) has ended production of BrightDrop electric vans due to lower-than-expected demand, adding the CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, which has been inactive since last May, to the list of assets under consideration for “future opportunities.”

The move was revealed by CEO Mary Barra during GM's third-quarter earnings conference call. “This is not a decision we took lightly because of the impact on our employees,” she said.

“However, the commercial electric van market has developed much more slowly than anticipated, and changes in the regulatory framework and incentives for fleets have further complicated the business,” she added.

The plant was set to resume production in November with a single shift before the program was canceled permanently. Barra explained that the decision will result in a charge, the amount of which has not yet been determined.