REE Automotive Ltd. announced yesterday that it has partnered with its Portland, OR-based dealer FMI Trucks to enable northwest fleets in the U.S. including Franz Bakery, Bedmart, Indoor Billboard, PointS Tires, and Kelly’s Home Center to evaluate the P7-C medium-duty electric demo truck. FMI Trucks is the latest dealer to receive the new electric trucks from an initial production batch for their fleet customers to review the vehicles in real-world conditions and enable them to secure the inventory they need to transition their fleets to electric.
The demo showcases what is said to be the first certified fully-by-wire commercial vehicle. In August 2023, REE announced that Horiba-MIRA performed internal modeling of certain FMVSS requirements to determine the feasibility of P7 in meeting the requirements of certification. Earlier this month, REE confirmed that the P7-C electric chassis cab passed U.S. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) and U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) certifications, making it the first to certify a fully x-by-wire vehicle.
“I am very excited to be among the first U.S. dealers to receive REE’s P7-C demo trucks and to soon be able to provide our fleets with the opportunity to try out a great electric truck that drivers want to drive and fleets want to buy,” said Don Emerson, President at FMI. “REE’s commitment to redefining the automotive landscape aligns seamlessly with FMI’s pursuit to offer our fleet customers the most cutting-edge vehicles and to partner with them as they make the transition to electrification.”
FMI joins Monarch Truck Center, a medium-duty truck dealer in the California Bay Area, which last week was announced in giving its large fleet customers, including Canteen, Stanford University, and the City of San Jose, a chance to test and evaluate the P7-C. Its customers
“We are excited to be amongst the first dealers in the U.S. to be receiving REE’s P7-C demo for multiple customers to have an opportunity to use and evaluate the first full-by-wire electric work truck,” said Nicole Guetersloh, CEO of Monarch Truck Center.
The P7-C is eligible for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, which allows customers to receive a tax credit of up to $40,000 per vehicle. REE is also in the process of initiating eligibility for various state incentives, which could bring the total incentive to over $100,000 per vehicle, depending on the customer’s location.
“We see a very strong potential for the P7-C in California’s electrification plans,” said Tali Miller, Chief Business Officer at REE. “It is important for us to allow California-based fleets to have the first opportunity to experience REE’s strong value offering so they can take advantage of the lucrative California electrification incentives.”
Vehicles “Powered by REE” are equipped with the REEcorner, which packs critical vehicle components like steering, braking, suspension, powertrain, and control into a single compact module positioned between the chassis and each wheel. The by-wire technology eliminates the need for mechanical connections. Using four identical REEcorners enables the company to make what it says is the industry’s flattest EV platforms with more room for passengers, cargo, and batteries.
“I believe our REEcorner is a true gamechanger, allowing us to build electric trucks that fleets will want to buy and drivers will love to drive as we continue to see a strong demand for our work trucks,” said Daniel Barel, CEO and Co-founder of REE Automotive.
Among the benefits cited by the company for its platform with REEcorner and x-by-wire technology are a modular design for quick time to market, “superior” maneuverability and volumetric efficiency, improved ergonomics with low step-in height and driver-centric cabin, and optimal energy efficiency. It is future-proofed, autonomous-ready, and OTA upgrade capable and has enhanced safety with fail-operational design via redundancies in hardware and software. Improved serviceability is enabled by more efficient maintenance and lower spare part inventory management.
The energy storage system for the Powered by REE EV platform is supplied by Microvast lithium-ion battery packs. Announced about a year ago, REE says that the cutting-edge battery technology offers high energy density, high power performance, long cycle life, and fast charging capabilities—with a full charge in 30 min.
“Microvast’s MV-C Gen 4 battery pack is a great fit for REE,” explained Sascha Kelterborn, Chief Revenue Officer of Microvast Holdings, Inc. “It’s specifically designed to address the requirements of commercial vehicle fleets.”
The newly developed MV-C Gen 4 battery pack contains Microvast’s high-energy HpCO 53.5-A·h pouch cells, delivering about 27% more energy and power compared to Microvast‘s previous battery generation. It also features improved thermal management and safety controls, fulfilling the upcoming safety standards regarding thermal runaway. The Gen 4 battery packs are expected to be certified to meet cross-regional battery standards such as ECE R100.3, GB 38031, and UL2580.
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