REE Automotive has announced a strategic collaboration with Magna International with the aim of bringing to market modular electric vehicles (MEVs) for tech and electric mobility companies under the ‘Powered by REE’ name.
The collaboration will see combine REE’s REEcorner technology and Magna’s experience and capability in vehicle systems integration and manufacturing to enable commercial vehicles to be customized to individual customers’ needs based on specifications and branding.
“We are thrilled to reach a collaboration agreement with Magna, which should help put us on the fast track to support a broad range of electric vehicles,” commented Daniel Barel, REE co-founder and CEO. “We see a growing demand for highly modular EVs from leading tech companies and new electric mobility players who have set their sights on entering the EV realm and building a brand in automotive. REE and Magna working together under the ‘Powered by REE’ approach can help bring their vision to life.”
The pair are also set to explore a Mobility as a Service collaboration in the LCV sector that will leverage REE’s very own X-by-Wire REEcorner and EV platform and Magna’s industrial footprint and capabilities in the area.
The REEcorner technology enables the integration of vehicle components into an area between the chassis and the wheels, enabling the ‘corners’ of the vehicle to be controlled by a compact single module using REE’s X-by-Wire control technology, resulting in a fully-flat, skateboard-like EV platform, enabling increased cargo carrying capability and interior space for passengers within the cabin. This design also creates more room for batteries.
REE states that its technologies have been designed to create MEVs that are capable of maximum payload capacity for cargo and passenger transportation, while also achieving the lowest total cost of ownership. MEVs have a lower center of gravity than vehicles with a powertrain located between the wheels, thus enabling a taller cabin space and a larger load capacity when compared with other EV designs.
“The evolving mobility landscape is opening new business model opportunities for Magna with our systems capability and unique ability to design, engineer and assemble vehicles,” said Eric Wilds, chief sales and marketing officer at Magna. “We are excited about our collaboration with REE and our ability to offer another capability to support potential new customers and Mobility as a Service.”