Israeli electric car firm to hire 200 at UK centre

AN ISRAELI start-up is planning a multi-million pound investment in the UK with a facility for developing electric car chassis.

REE Automotive predicts that its new centre, due to open in Nuneaton in the West Midlands later this year, will provide around 200 jobs for the people of the local community.

The plan is to develop a highly adaptable flat chassis that can be fitted to any kind of car or truck body.

The technology, says the company, is “revolutionary. It packs traditional vehicle drive components – steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control – into the arch of the wheel, allowing for the industry’s flattest electric vehicle platform”.

The boss of REE, Daniel Barel, believes that electric cars and trucks built using his technology “will offer more room for passengers, cargo, and batteries in a manner unprecedented in the industry”. And he says his company’s system will work whatever the size of the vehicle, and whether the driver is human or robotic.

Mike Charlton, REE’s chief operating officer, who is responsible for the launch, said: “A key driver in our decision to establish our presence in the UK is the UK government’s forwardthinking vision and zero-emissions policy, which perfectly aligns with REE’s goal of heralding a more sustainable, greener future for our generation and those to come.” Britain, says REE, “is steeped in automative excellence”.

REE says, its technology will ultimately save money. It said: “Vehicles built on our EV platforms have greater interior space – meaning they can carry more cargo, thereby enabling delivery companies to deliver more in fewer rounds and realise cost savings.”

Lord Grimstone, Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade, said: “The UK is the most welcoming location for a pioneering automotive company like REE thanks to our leading position in both CAM and vehicle electrification.”

The technology we are using is revolutionary’