The Winebow Operations team recently tested its first electric vehicle, a BrightDrop* Zevo 600, on route deliveries in the Metro NYC market.  During the two-week test period with BrightDrop, a tech startup from General Motors, our transportation team reviewed the EV's capabilities and calibrated them to meet our requirements. The Zevo 600 covered 778 miles along six routes, reducing our diesel fuel usage by 86 gallons and having an immediate impact on minimizing Winebow's carbon footprint.

The Zevo 600 boasts a range of up to 250 miles, all-wheel drive capability, and more than 600 cubic ft. of cargo space, a pass-through door to the cargo area, and zero tailpipe emissions.  Throughout the testing period, one feature that stood out was the regenerative braking system.  This allowed the driver to operate the vehicle with one-pedal driving (OPD). OPD can help maximize driving range while reducing the need to switch between the accelerator and brake pedals in heavy traffic.

During the testing period, Winebow driver Stephen Welfel stated, "I really enjoyed how the vehicle drove, and especially like the OPD feature. Along my route, many people were asking questions, and even police officers were looking at the unit. All positive comments."

Winebow Operations will continue to explore opportunities to transition our fleet to alternative-fueled vehicles. Our next testing marketing with BrightDrop EVs will focus on the Southern California area, where strict emissions requirements are in progress to shift company fleet vehicles toward a zero-carbon footprint. This region will use a different design with a similar payload capacity to our existing diesel-powered vehicles.

A special thanks to the Pine Brook, NJ team, and soon the Pico Rivera, CA team, for supporting this exciting initiative.