The car industry is undergoing a reformation. Electric vehicles have started entering the market and are replacing traditional Internal Combustion Engine vehicles. Companies like Tesla have already captured a significant part of the market share from luxury vehicles. Car companies like Mercedes, Audi, and BMW have taken note of this dip in sales and have launched their own electric vehicles.
The climate crisis is driving the shift towards electric vehicles. Most people do not want to damage the climate but their situation leaves them no choice. Due to monetary constraints, many people are unable to shift to a cleaner way to travel. Electric vehicles should be an integral part of every segment of society to reduce pollution and save the climate.
REE Automotive: A Revolutionary EV Platform Provider
The penetration of electric vehicles is possible in all segments if and only if the companies that make electric vehicles offer them at a price acceptable to the majority of the people. It is said that an electric vehicle that costs less than $25000 will be the turning point for the industry. Therefore, many companies are working on building solutions for this problem. These solutions are varied and give an outlook on the future of electric vehicles.
One such company is REE Automotive. Daniel Barel and Ahishay Sardes founded the company in 2011. It is currently based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Daniel Barel is the CEO and Ahishay Sardes is the CTO of the company. The products that the company plans to launch are unlike any other.
What does REE Automotive do?
REE Automotive is building a revolutionary electric vehicle chassis. This chassis will likely be the future for all-electric vehicles. So what’s so special about the chassis? The chassis or vehicle undercarriage houses the battery pack for the electric vehicle. Not only this it also holds four independent motors that drive the vehicle. No other car manufacturer has this kind of all-inclusive drive train.
This chassis is a car on its own. The car can drive itself autonomously or an operator can control it remotely. The founders of the company want the chassis to be a canvas for next-generation electric vehicles. The engineers and designers have designed the chassis to be modular. Thus, consumers can select the design of the body of their vehicles according to their requirements.
Consumers have the choice of selecting as many modular battery packs as they need. The number of battery packs will determine the range of the electric vehicles. Frost and Sullivan named REE Automotive the 2021 Global EV platform company of the year. Due to this, the company received a lot of news coverage as well as funding.
The company calls its product the next-generation EV platform. Over the last 20 years, the number of cars on the road has increased drastically and this is going to continue. Even though the adoption of cars has increased, auto manufacturers are making vehicles based on a design that is almost 100 years old. REE Automotive is trying to change this. Their platform is based on 3 pillars: Modularity, Functionality, and Collaboration. The platform is modular and it can be made according to the customer’s requirements.
The most revolutionary feature of the Electric vehicle platform is its body can be designed completely independently to fit on it. Designers can treat the platform as a blank canvas and have their own impression of the body of the vehicle. This means that REE Automotive can sell their product to independent designers so that they can build their own car bodies.
The company has attached motors, brakes, and wheels in a single assembly. They call this assembly the Corner unit. This unit is present on all four corners of the vehicle. There are a total of 4 such units. The battery of the vehicle can power all these motors individually to achieve optimum driving conditions. For example, the chances of a car slipping due to wet road conditions are reduced to zero virtually if the speed of each wheel can be controlled independently.
REE Center ECU (Electrical Control Unit) is the brain of the machine. It controls the corner units, battery management system, power converters and is also capable of making high-level driving decisions. The company uses AI-driven software for optimal performance and driving characteristics of its vehicle.
REE Automotive Market
REE Automotive Ltd. is sourcing its components from existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers thus reducing the cost of manufacturing of the platform also known as the REE Board. The company will assemble the sourced components and its proprietary technology at its integration centers which can be easily built or repurposed from old buildings.
REE is planning to enter all segments of the electric market from light buses to small hatchback electric vehicles. The price of the platforms is still unknown. Currently, the company, as well as regulators, are scrutinizing this revolutionary technology. Everyone in the auto industry has an eye fixed of this company.
REE Automotive: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a REE platform cost?
The company has not revealed the cost of the platform yet but it is trying to reduce the cost by sourcing components from Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers. For now, we can say the cost of a REE platform will vary depending on the size and complexity of the project.
What is EV platform?
The electric vehicle platform is an architectural framework that provides the components, systems, and proportions for an electric vehicle. The platform can be used by different automakers to create different models of electric vehicles. The platform includes the battery pack, electric drivetrain, and all associated electronic controls. It also includes the body and chassis of the vehicle, as well as all necessary structural reinforcements. By using a common platform, automakers can save money on research and development costs, tooling costs, and production costs.
Is REE Automotive a good company?
There are a lot of factors to consider when answering this question. Some people might look at the company’s financial stability, others might consider the vision of the product. It is a well-visionarised company which provides electric vehicle platform.
Where is REE auto based?
REE is based in Herzliya, Israel, and has an engineering Center in the UK.
Is REE Automotive publicly traded?
In July 2021, after merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Ree Automotive went public.
REE Automotive’s innovation has the capacity to bring earth-shattering changes in the electric vehicle industry. It is developing an electric van which will likely begin production in 2023. Mahindra has also signed a deal with REE Automotive to develop Electric vehicles for the global market.
This type of platform for EVs was a GM concept a long time ago. I wonder if GM ever patented the idea and if they’ll take legal action against REE. The GM concept was colloquially called a “skateboard” if memory serves me.