What this Ontario contractor loves about the BrightDrop vehicle that GM cancelled
CBC
Eight weeks after adding a GM BrightDrop van to the fleet of his plumbing and heating business, Marty Salliss has no complaints, only praise.
Well, maybe only one complaint: That he may not be able to get another one.
"It's an easy vehicle to drive, and actually it's a really fun vehicle," said Salliss, whose company is about to celebrate 25 years doing business in London. "As a service truck, it's been phenomenal."
Salliss leased a BrightDrop 400 in October, the same month General Motors announced they would no longer produce the electric delivery vehicle at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont.
It was devastating news for the community and for the 1,200 workers who now face an uncertain future.
In explaining the company's decision to stop making the BrightDrop, GM cited lower-than-expected demand and changing market conditions.
For Salliss, though, the Canadian-made vehicle has been a perfect fit for his fleet.
Although the BrightDrop was designed as a last-mile delivery vehicle, Salliss thought it would make an excellent service van, and he was right.
"I like to say that it's so ugly, it's cute, I just really wanted to try it out," he said.
He worked with Woodfield Canada to equip the van with custom racks to store all the plumbing parts that might be required on a service call.
There's room for his tools and enough floor space for a 60-gallon water heater, bathtub or any other large fixture he might be called to install.
"One thing that's big in our industry, when you get to a job, you want to make sure you have everything you need. This truck has space for all that," he said. "Constantly running to the wholesaler is not efficient."
The van is sure-footed in the snow and easy to park due to its array of cameras that display multiple angles on the high-tech dashboard.
Another key advantage is the vehicle's fuel efficiency and range. On Thursday, after a day of driving to service calls in London, he was able to travel up to Goderich on an emergency call without recharging.
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