The partners expect to begin developing prototype vehicles in 2022
Hino Motors, an affiliate of Toyota Motor Corp, and Israeli startup Ree Automotive have announced that they will partner up to develop modular electric vehicles to transport people and goods.
As per a Reuters report, alike rivals Arrival and Rivian (who have also formed similar partnerships with United Parcel services and Amazon, respectively), Ree has developed a flexible electric skateboard that combines motor, batteries, steering, suspension and brakes into a flat chassis on which different vehicle configurations can be built.
However, Ree’s has a special element. Each corner of the skateboard features a modular wheel/tire combination that also incorporates suspension and other chassis components.
Hino and Ree plan to jointly develop an electric commercial vehicle chassis that would use Ree’s corner modules and features a detachable “mobility service module” that can function as a stand-alone unit.
The partners expect to begin developing prototype vehicles in 2022.
Hino said the starting point for development is a concept called FlatFormer for a modular electric commercial vehicle, first displayed at the 2019 Tokyo auto show.
Ree also said its skateboard can accommodate self-driving hardware.
