Electric vehicle (EV) platform startup REE Automotive and JB Poindexter & Co. subsidiary EAVX today announced their joint-effort fully electric walk-in van prototype will begin customer evaluations this summer. The Class 5 vehicle debuts an EAVX body design powered by REE’s modular P7 platform, making it the first fully drive-by-wire walk-in van on the market, according to the partners.

Evaluations of the electric walk-in van will take place over several weeks in the Detroit area. Pipeline customers across retail, delivery, and logistics segments will be able to experience the vehicle and secure some of the production capacity planned to commence with 2023 deliveries.

The road testing is intended to demonstrate the maturity of the REE-EAVX modular walk-in van program for the North American delivery market first announced in July 2021. The new, ground-up development will be showcased for the first time on the REE P7 platform, which was unveiled in January at CES 2022.

The prototype body, shown in dark renders but with more details promised soon, is a step forward in EAVX’s mission to develop next-generation EV and AV (autonomous vehicle) powered delivery and work truck bodies and accessories as a business unit of JB Poindexter & Co, which is said to have a leading position in the North American delivery market.

“The on-road testing of our Class 5 walk-in van is a testament to the strength and progress of our EAVX partnership,” said Daniel Barel, Co-Founder and CEO of REE. “We are excited for customers to experience first-hand the unique benefits of the first x-by-wire vehicle built with a best-in-class Morgan Olson body and powered by REE, a clear step toward firm orders.”

The REE P7 platform is intended to power Class 3 through Class 5 vehicles with payloads up to 8800 lb (3990 kg) and ranges up to 370 mi (595 km)—along with all-wheel steering, all-wheel drive, and autonomous-ready capabilities. The vehicle platform is designed to provide unique user benefits, efficiencies, and flexibility that can be scaled across further applications and classes.

The modularity and design freedom are enabled by REEcorner technology, which integrates vehicle components for steering, braking, suspension, and powertrain into the arch of the wheel. Each REEcorner is independent and features a fully sprung high-rpm electric motor, multi-ratio high-efficiency drivetrain, steer- and brake-by-wire technology, a high-power ECU architecture, preventative maintenance AI, and OTA updates.

“This is an excellent proof point for EAVX’s unprecedented offering to accelerate commercial vehicle electrification for existing and new customers,” said John Poindexter, CEO and Chairman, JBPCO. “By partnering with REE for its innovative REEcorner technology and modular electric chassis, EAVX can leverage JBPCO’s proven history of creating excellent work truck and commercial vehicle bodies and accessories to design and manufacture the commercial electric fleets of all sizes and across markets.”

JB Poindexter & Co is a portfolio of businesses that provide commercial automotive and manufacturing goods and services for truck and van bodies, pickup truck covers and accessories, industrial vehicle storage and shelving, funeral coaches, limousines, specialty industrial parts, and expandable foam packaging. The portfolio of industry-leading business units includes Morgan Truck Body, Morgan Olson, Reading, Truck Accessories Group, Specialty Vehicle Group, and EAVX. As its newest business unit, EAVX collaborates with advanced electric and alternative power chassis producers.

Headquartered in Glil Yam, Israel, REE has an engineering center in the UK and subsidiaries in Japan and Germany. The company plans to open its U.S. headquarters and first Integration Center in Austin, TX. Its unique CapEx-light manufacturing model leverages Tier-1 partners’ existing production lines. In addition to JB Poindexter, the company’s partner ecosystem encompasses the likes of Toyota’s Hino Motors, Magna International, Navya, and American Axle & Manufacturing to provide turnkey solutions.

Just yesterday, REE announced progress towards commercial production, having proven its robotic assembly capabilities—the core of its CapEx-light and highly automated integration center manufacturing approach. The company plans to implement the cloud-based robotic assembly lines at its network of highly digitalized global manufacturing plants but first with its European Integration Center in Coventry, UK.

From that center, it will serve customer demand in Europe with an initial focus on the P7 electric platform for commercial vehicles such as walk-in delivery vans, buses, and recreational vehicles. The Coventry site will also operate as the blueprint for future REE Integration Centers, with an expected capacity of 10,000 vehicle sets—or 40,000 REEcorners—this year.

The North American Integration Center in Austin is expected to double its global capacity to 20,000 vehicle sets in 2023 by replicating the highly automated cloud-based architecture of its European sibling. For that location, the company is partnering with Rockwell Automation and Expert Technologies for robotics and automated assembly, with the first assembly line expected to become operational in the second half of 2022. REE is implementing line-side controls from Rockwell Automation and is creating further efficiencies and savings through the adoption of the cloud-based Plex Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

“Plex delivers full visibility into production operations and seamless connectivity with ERP systems, making it a highly capable single-plant solution,” said Malte Dieckelmann, Regional Vice President, Software Sales, EMEA at Rockwell Automation.

“Our cloud-based robotic manufacturing system will be the digital backbone for our assembly lines and give us the local capability to manage our customer-specific manufacturing operations, while also allowing us to quickly share and scale best practices internationally across all plants,” said Josh Tech, REE’s Chief Operating Officer.

The Integration Center includes Industry 4.0 technologies and will be partially powered by solar energy.

“This establishment of the Coventry Integration Center marks a pivotal moment in the commercialization of REE’s innovative REEcorner technology and EV platforms, with prototype on-track testing of its P7 platform having commenced this year,” concluded Peter Dow, REE Vice President of Engineering.