General Motors has given its first BrightDrop dealership to the Roy Foss Automotive Group in Vaughan, Ont.
BrightDrop Greater Toronto Area, located about 36 kilometres north of the heart of the provincial capital, is the second store in North America selling the automaker’s commercial electric delivery vans. It joins the first location which opened in Fontana, Calif., in 2021 near Los Angeles.
“Following the recent opening of our global EV manufacturing home in Ontario – the country’s first full-scale EV plant – BrightDrop Greater Toronto Area marks a critical step in our international expansion: we are now open for business in Canada,” General Motors said in a statement.
The vans are assembled about 150 kilometres southwest of Vaughan, in Ingersoll.
General Motors said BrightDrop Greater Toronto Area is “meeting our commercial fleet customers right where they operate.”
The automaker says its BrightDrop dealers will order, upfit and maintain support for the vans.
Toronto is the largest auto market and third largest electric-vehicle market in Canada. Provincially, British Columbia and Quebec are ahead of Ontario when it comes to EV registrations, mainly because those provinces offer EV rebates.
Meanwhile, Canada is committed to expanding the use of electric vehicles by proposing one-fifth of all vehicle purchases be electric by 2026.
“With our dealers located in greater Toronto and Los Angeles – some of the most EV-rich markets – it’s easier for commercial customers to make the switch to electric and integrate our vehicles into their new or existing operations,” General Motors said.
The Roy Foss Automotive Group is a three-generation family business that also operates Canada's largest Cadillac dealership. Founded by Roy Foss and now operated by his daughter Karen Foss and her son, James Ricci, they have decades of experience.
“Our fleet and commercial expertise, built over six decades in the Toronto area, solidly positions us to hit the ground running with BrightDrop,” Karen Foss said in a statement. “Working with this innovative brand will help us deliver what our customers need, and accelerate EV adoption in Canada.”
