REE AUTOMOTIVE: ENGINEERING A DREAM DELIVERY PLATFORM

EV Channels Review

This episode of Batteries Included features an in-depth discussion with Peter Dow, VP of Engineering at REE Automotive, focusing on their innovative commercial EV platform. REE's core technology is the "elite corner" or P73 Corner, a by-wire system integrating drive, brakes, and steering into a single, identical unit for all four corners. This modular approach allows for significant design flexibility, enabling various wheelbases, track widths, and body styles for commercial vehicles from Class 3 to Class 5. Key advantages highlighted include a low, flat floor for easier ingress/egress and cargo loading, and a remarkable maneuverability due to 30 degrees of articulation on both front and rear steering axles, particularly beneficial at low speeds. The platform is designed for the 99% use case of commercial operations, emphasizing reliability and reduced downtime, with a corner unit replaceable in under an hour. REE aims for price parity with diesel trucks, leveraging incentives and scaling production to optimize costs. The company is targeting a 150-200 mile range, prioritizing volume and usability over extreme range for urban delivery networks. While acknowledging the learning curve for charging infrastructure and servicing high-voltage systems, REE is partnering to provide solutions and support for fleet operators.