Target will use a fleet of 50 Chevrolet BrightDrop electric vans for last-mile deliveries within the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to an Oct. 8 announcement.
The retailer is adding the delivery capacity thanks to an arrangement with the Frontdoor Collective and Circuit EV Solutions. Through a "fleet subscription program," the Frontdoor Collective staffs the BrightDrop vehicles with drivers through its franchise delivery model, while Circuit EV Solutions manages charging infrastructure and fleet support, per the release.
"As we expand the reach and speed of Target's last-mile operations for our guests, we’ll continue to look for ways to do it more efficiently and sustainably," Gretchen McCarthy, Target's chief supply chain and logistics officer, wrote on LinkedIn. "Our new electric vehicle partnership with The FRONTdoor Collective is an exciting example of that — higher capacity delivery vans that reduce carbon emissions."
The move comes as Target is pushing to accelerate its delivery speeds to meet customer demand, such as by expanding its next-day delivery coverage to more U.S. markets. Next-day delivery is already available in the Dallas metropolitan area.
Executives with the Frontdoor Collective, Circuit EV Solutions and General Motors said the EV program will help customers make deliveries more sustainably while removing obstacles for electric delivery at scale, such as finding adequate charging infrastructure.
“This alliance removes the historic roadblocks to electrifying last-mile delivery,” Dan Bourgault, CEO at the Frontdoor Collective, said in the announcement. “With the launch of this comprehensive solution, we now have the vehicles and infrastructure, and the trained workforce ready to go."
Target isn't the only retail heavyweight tapping into EV delivery fleets. Last year, GM announced Walmart would use 400 Chevrolet BrightDrop vans in major U.S. markets for its InHome delivery service. Amazon has relied on EVs produced by Rivian since 2022 to deliver millions of packages nationwide.
