Hino announced a partnership this week with an electric mobility start-up in Israel to develop some unique and versatile electric trucks.
REE, based in Tel Aviv, offers Class 1 – 6 electric platforms, or REEboards, that allow for wide range of truck and van bodies. Platform versatility is made possible through REEcorners, a proprietary approach to packaging vehicle propulsion and braking at each wheel.
Hino and REE plan to build an EV with a Mobility Service Module that according to Hino “can be easily detached from the EV platform and once detached serve as an independent, stand-alone unit.”
REE co-founder and CEO Daniel Barel said that platform providers comprise one of three key layers in the emerging field of electric vehicles. The other two are service and data providers.
“All need to work together to create new vehicles and new services tailored to customers’ needs,” Barel said in a company statement. “REE is here to lead the industry and set the path for future platforms.”
The medium-duty REE P7, the company's largest vehicle platform, is rated to handle a max payload of 8,818 lbs. and offers a range of up to 155 miles with a 100 kilowatt-hour battery.
Hino announced last month at the Work Truck Show that it would be adding Cummins diesel engines to its medium- and heavy-duty truck lineup to focus on battery electric development.
