Nick Carey

LONDON (Reuters), REE Automotive is a manufacturer of rolling chassis for electric commercial vehicles (EVs). It announced Tuesday that customers will be able to test its electric walk-in van at Detroit’s Motor City location this summer in order to place orders for delivery by 2023.

The Israeli startup said the EV, built using a body designed by EAVX, a unit of U.S. commercial vehicle body maker JP Poindexter & Co., is built on its P7 platform.

CEO Daniel Barel stated to Reuters that it was crucial for potential partners and customers such as UPS (with which REE Automotive works since 2019), to validate working models.

Barel stated that customers must test it before they can order large quantities of vehicles. People will not sign orders unless they drive it first, particularly if this is a novel technology.

REE’s platform for electric vehicles uses four wheels instead of the traditional axles. Each wheel has its own steering and braking system.

It is designed to drive EVs that weigh up to 8,800 lbs (3,992kg) and have a range of 370 m (595 km).

Startup is currently building an automated assembly line in Coventry, United Kingdom, this year. It will be followed in Austin, Texas in 2023.

Traditional automakers are preparing to produce electric trucks and vans, but startups are now more determined than ever in gaining a technological or competitive edge.