If you’re following the latest electric camper van news, here’s a big update: General Motors (GM) is ending production of its BrightDrop electric vans at the CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.
GM CEO Mary Barra told the Detroit Free Press, “This is not a decision we made lightly because of the impact on our employees. However, the commercial electric van market has been developing much slower than expected, and changes to the regulatory framework and fleet incentives have made the business even more challenging.”
Electric camper van news hits some RVers
For some in the RV world, this is a big deal. BrightDrop chassis have been the foundation for electric camper vans, with Detroit startup Grounded RV building on them since 2023. In September, Forest River Inc.’s Coachmen brand launched the RVEX—the first all-electric camper van from a major Elkhart, Indiana, manufacturer.
The problem? BrightDrop vans just haven’t been selling. The Detroit Free Press reported that hundreds of vans ended up parked on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. BrightDrop has sold only about 7,500 vans, compared with 27,000 Ford E-Transits and 30,000 Rivian vans, according to Sam Abuelsamid, vice president at Telemetry.
GM had moved the vans under the Chevrolet brand to try to boost sales and compete with Ford and Rivian. But changes to federal incentives—like President Trump reversing parts of the Inflation Reduction Act—have increased costs for all EVs. All this makes imported vans less appealing, especially for fleets.
Bottom line for e-RV fans
So what does this mean for RVers? If you were hoping to buy a BrightDrop-based camper van or work with a builder using that chassis, supply is likely shrinking. Builders may need to look at alternative platforms, and buyers might have to act fast before remaining stock disappears.
For anyone planning an electric camper van adventure, staying informed about GM’s plans for the CAMI plant and other chassis options is key. The all-electric RV future may still be on the road—but it’s taking a lengthy detour.
Sources include The Verge and RV Business
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RVT1232b
Great news indeed, RnT. Thanks for the positive news and the update. A caveat for E-Van RVers is offered tho, in as much as it may not be as positive a story for the RVers seeking electric RV options. The brightside of even that caveat is that taxpayers with no interest won’t be subsidizing the cost for people that do desire an EV any longer. Want one, pay for it yourself.
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Excellent idea!
EV subsidies were a near-direct wealth transfer from poorer people to the wealthy that never should have happened. The absurdity of people scraping to get by subsidizing some wealthy person’s quarter-million dollar EV camper van is obscene.
GM should have made hybrid (HEV) vehicles and would have been selling lots of them. From my household they would have sold three in the last couple years.
Tsk,tsk,tsk…The E-Ride is drying up across the board now that they aren’t being pushed down our throats by biased govt actions. Rivian wouldn’t even be in business today if the past administration “gave” them $5 billion dollars of American taxpayers money