REE Automotive to build commercial EV plant in UK's Coventry
16/05/2022 11:00
By Nick Carey
LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - REE Automotive REE.O , which
develops rolling chassis for commercial electric vehicles (EVs),
said on Monday it will build an assembly plant in the British
city of Coventry to supply customers in Europe.
The Israeli-based startup said the highly-automated assembly
plant it will complete this year in partnership with Rockwell
Automation ROK.N and Expert Technologies will have an annual
production capacity of 10,000 EV chassis.
The company did not disclose the size of the investment or
how many jobs will be created, but Chief Executive Daniel Barel
said the high level of automation meant the plant could be run
by a staff of around seven people.
"This is asset-light assembly using cloud-based
infrastructure," Barel told Reuters, adding that it should take
the company 10-11 months to build any additional plant as it
expands.
REE already plans another plant in Austin, Texas, in 2023,
by replicating that highly-automated cloud-based system,
doubling its manufacturing capacity to 20,000 EV chassis.
The company said the Coventry plant will initially focus on
its P7 electric platform for commercial uses like delivery vans,
buses and recreational vehicles.
REE plans to launch production of an electric delivery van
and a people mover in 2023. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2OY12D
Instead of traditional axles, REE's electric vehicle
platform runs using four separate wheels - with their own
steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control - that
allow its vehicles to have flatter bottoms, providing more room
for cargo.
As traditional automakers prepare to churn out electric vans
and trucks, startups are focused more than ever on finding a
competitive or technological edge to stay on the road once their
bigger rivals start moving through the gears. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2U40IG
(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
((nick.carey@thomsonreuters.com; +44 7385 414 954;))