In a surprising turn of events, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced on Oct. 21 that the company will cease production of the BrightDrop electric van.
This decision is expected to have significant repercussions for specific segments of the RV industry, particularly for two RV manufacturers closely associated with this innovative vehicle.
One of those manufacturers affected is Middlebury, Ind.-based Coachmen RV, a division of Forest River Inc. The company displayed its new BrightDrop-based RVEX at the recent Forest River Dealer Expo during the 2025 Elkhart RV Open House.
This Class B camper van attracted significant attention for its innovative features, full-paint exterior, and an estimated range of 270 miles on a single charge. With a projected MSRP of around $150,000, Coachmen and its dealers expected the product to be a success, especially since there was nothing else like it in the marketplace. RVBusiness named it a finalist for RV of the Year.
The GM move came as a surprise to Zach Eppers, the general manager for Coachmen Class A motorhomes, who spearheaded the development of the RVEX. “We found out when the rest of the world did,” said Eppers, referring to the cessation of production, noting that Coachmen did not get any heads-up from GM, and adding that he thought the move was also a surprise to BrightDrop employees, as well.
At first glance, GM’s decision may appear to signal the end of the RVEX project; however, the outcome remains uncertain as executives from Coachmen and Forest River consider their alternatives.
“We are actively exploring other chassis manufacturing options to continue progressing the RVEX concept,” stated Eppers. “The RVEX generated significant momentum and excitement throughout the industry, and we remain committed to finding the best path to bring it to the open road.”
Another manufacturer building on the BrightDrop chassis is Detroit-based Grounded. Although the company unveiled the G3 RV on July 3 of this year, its most advanced camper to date, Grounded CEO Sam Shapiro said at the time of the GM announcement that his company is not an EV company nor a vehicle company.
“We build the smart, high-tech, modular workspace or living space on top of the chassis: the design, materials, power system, and Grounded+ software that turn a vehicle into a modern, connected mobile healthcare vehicle, command center, camper van, coffee shop, and more. The application layer on top of the vehicle is our product,” he stated.
Shapiro described Grounded as platform-agnostic, meaning “we can turn a variety of OEM vehicles into smart, modular mobile spaces for different use cases. Our current lineup of products includes offerings on the GM BrightDrop, the Ford e-Transit, and the Harbinger BEV and gasoline-hybrid chassis. We are also having active conversations with additional OEMs about building on more platforms in the near future.”
