REE Automotive, which produces rolling chassis for commercial EVs, is to build an highly automated assembly plant in Coventry to supply customers in Europe.
The startup firm, based in Israel, said the facility it will finish this year in partnership with Rockwell Automation and Expert Technologies will have an annual production capacity of about 10,000 EV chassis.
REE already has plans for a similar plant in Austin, Texas in 2023, which will double its manufacturing capacity to 20,000 EV chassis.
According to the firm, the Coventry Integration Centre will initially focus on its P7 electric platform for commercial uses like delivery vans, buses and recreational vehicles.
REE plans to begin production of an electric delivery van and a people mover in 2023.
Its EV platform runs using four separate wheels with their own steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and controls, allowing its vehicles to have flatter bottoms and offering more room for cargo.
REE has so far not disclosed the size of the investment or how many jobs will be created.
Peter Dow, REE Vice President of Engineering said, “We have a world-class team of highly skilled designers and engineers who are leading the design, development and production of our innovative current and future technologies.
“Our team is doing tremendous work toward commercialization of our REEcorner technology with P7 corner and platform builds.”
Josh Tech, REE’s Chief Operating Officer said, “This is an important milestone on our path to commercial production next year.
“The automated and connected capabilities at our Coventry site are a great foundation for our global operations, as they will enable us to continuously fine-tune our assembly procedures and rapidly deploy them to other sites.”
