By: Daniel Barel
Co-Founder and CEO of REE
It’s all about selecting the best e-van
Commercial vehicles play a key role in our economy. And in the coming years, electrification of these vehicles will rapidly accelerate as auto manufacturers are required to meet stringent emission regulation legislation.
For operators facing the decision of which commercial e-vehicle to purchase, it’s crucial to choose a fleet that delivers optimal performance and reliability and also lowest operational costs.
REE’s unique value proposition
REE’s breakthrough next-generation EV platform empowers fleet operators and businesses to select the optimal e-van for their needs based on their exact specifications, and at the same time significantly reduce their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
REE’s next-generation EV platform integrates all vehicle components (drivetrain, powertrain, suspension, steering) into the arch of each wheel – the REEcorner. These corner modules integrate with REE’s completely flat and modular electric chassis – the REEBoard – thus effectively creating the world’s most advanced, light and modular electric platform.
Reducing TCO & maximizing uptime
Building upon REE’s next gen EV platform allows fleet operators globally to realize major benefits and cost savings.
1. Complete freedom of body design – REE’s pioneering technology allows for any type of body design to be integrated on top of the REE platform, thus providing complete design freedom and reducing costs. Operators have complete flexibility to design their fleets based on their exact specifications such as cargo capacity and application. REE’s EV platform is also autonomous-ready and future-proof.
2.Extending an e-van’s lifecycle – REEcorner’s innovative technology guarantees that all REEcorner components can be serviced without the need to overhaul the entire vehicle, while over-the-air (OTA) updates facilitate instantaneous software upgrades, boosting a vehicle’s functionality. By delivering these inherent advantages, REE-powered e-vans have an average lifecycle of 9-10 years vs. the typical 8-year average for a typical van.
3.Decreasing Mean Repair Time (MRT) – REE’s smart EV platform enables fleet managers to dramatically reduce MRT and realize major cost savings.
Having just one van off the road can cost a company as much as $1000 a day. And with fleets averaging up to six days of unplanned Vehicle Off Road (VOR) incidents a year – in addition to three days of planned vehicle service and maintenance – downtime carries a heavy price tag when extrapolated across millions of vehicles. When there’s vehicle downtime, a company incurs heavy repair and/or replacement fees and loss of earnings.
Each REEcorner can be serviced and replaced individually, and a new module can be installed in less than 20 minutes. In a traditional ICE or a typical electric vehicle, this would necessitate a tow truck and a visit to the repair shop bearing heavy mechanical costs and loss of driver time.
4.Preventive maintenance for reduced costs – REE’s corner technology not only reduces vehicle downtime, but also significantly reduces maintenance times and costs. Secure, over-the-air updates are a key part of the REE offering, facilitating offline maintenance and treatments carried out during a vehicle’s pre-scheduled downtime or during an overnight stop.
5.Reducing fleet size & space consumption – Thanks to REE’s technology, operators can reduce their fleet size and space consumption. REEBoard provides 67% more space for batteries and cargo compared to a conventional ICE van, so not only do REE-powered EV vehicles provide longer range and carry more goods per journey, they also have a smaller footprint, allowing operators to reduce warehouse and parking space and the attendant accrued expenses.
REEBoard’s flat platform is also easily accessible from all sides, making it that much easier and faster to load and unload cargo, reducing the time and effort required to prep a vehicle for delivery.
REE is disrupting age-old concepts relating to vehicle servicing, maintenance and repairs, enabling fleet managers and operators to dramatically reduce TCO, and ensuring that vehicles will continue to serve as the backbone of modern-day societies.