- REE U.S. HQ to capitalize on growing market demand for EVs in North America
- REE Austin is expected to generate more than 150 jobs in the region in the next few years
- Expected annual capacity of U.S. Integration Center to be 40,000 modular EV platforms by H2 2022
REE Automotive Ltd. [NASDAQ: “REE”], a leader in e-Mobility, today announced that it will open its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas to address the growing U.S. market demand for mission-specific EVs from delivery and logistics companies, Mobility-as-a-Service and new technology players. In addition, Austin will be the location of REE’s first asset-light Integration Center for the assembly and testing of its disruptive REEcorner™ technology and ultra-modular EV platforms. The new Integration Center will offer REE’s technology to its existing and future automotive partners in North America, enabling them to build modular EVs “Powered by REE”. REE is exploring several collaborations with a number of Koch Industries, Inc. companies, to support and accelerate the establishment of REE’s integration center in Austin. Koch Strategic Platforms, LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, is an investor in REE as well. The REE Austin facility is expected to create approximately 150 jobs in upcoming years.
“Establishing our U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas best positions us for growth and rapid expansion,” said Daniel Barel, REE’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Austin is fast becoming a worldwide home for elite technology professionals. REE needs to continue growing and thriving, and Austin’s dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit definitely fit REE’s culture and values. Our U.S. presence will allow us to capitalize on the incredible opportunities in the U.S. market and put us closer to our North American-based customers and partners, including Magna International and JB Poindexter, as we work together to develop and deliver modular EVs (MEVs™).”
REEcorner™ technology integrates critical vehicle components, including steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control, into a single compact module between the chassis and the wheel, using x-by-wire technology for steering, driving and braking. This innovation has enabled REE to develop a modular, fully-flat skateboard chassis with more room for passengers, cargo and batteries that will be highly adaptable to customers. EV platforms using REEcorners™ are agnostic to vehicle size and design, power-source and driving mode, enabling REE to target a $700 billion total addressable market, and help OEMs, delivery fleets, Mobility-as-a-Service providers and new mobility players get to market faster at a fraction of the cost.
REE intends to tap into a global network of Tier 1 partners’ manufacturing capacity, with full point-of-sale component assembly and testing set to take place in REE’s Integration Centers. REE expects this manufacturing process to significantly reduce capital expenditures and increase REE’s global presence and market share. REE’s CapEx-light manufacturing approach and Integration Centers are designed to enable the company to remain a comparatively asset-light enterprise, helping to increase operating margins and ROI and reduce the carbon footprint of its operations.
Michael Charlton, REE’s COO, commented, “REE’s Integration Centers will be designed to be fully modular and scalable to ensure the Company achieves projected production volumes. The state-of-the-art centers will utilize automation, including Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), for the optimal movement of assemblies, with the goal of increasing automation levels to Industry 4.0 Technology and beyond.”
About REE
REE is an automotive technology leader creating the cornerstone for tomorrow’s zero-emission vehicles. REE’s mission is to empower global mobility companies to build any size or shape of electric or autonomous vehicle – from class 1 through class 6 – for any application and any target market. Our revolutionary, award-winning REEcorner technology packs traditional vehicle drive components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) into the arch of the wheel, allowing for the industry’s flattest EV platform. Unrestricted by legacy thinking, REE is a truly horizontal player, with technology applicable to the widest range of target markets and applications. Fully scalable and completely modular, REE offers multiple customer benefits including complete vehicle design freedom, more space and volume with the smallest footprint, lower TCO, faster development times, ADAS compatibility, reduced maintenance and global safety standard compliance.
Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with subsidiaries in the USA, the UK and Germany, REE has a CapEx-light manufacturing model that leverages its Tier 1 partners’ existing production lines. REE’s technology, together with its unique value proposition and commitment to excellence, positions REE to break new ground in e-Mobility.
For more information visit: www.ree.auto
Image courtesy of REE