Hino And REE Are A Step Closer To Building A Truck With REEcorner

Signing a deal with Magna is not the only good news coming from REE. The Israeli startup announced this April 27 that it also has a business agreement with Hino Motors, Toyota’s truck division. The goal is to develop a modular platform for EVs and Mobility Service Modules that integrate with it. The first prototype should be presented in 2022.

This modular platform will use REE’s best invention, the REEcorner. Not by chance, Hino and REE already presented how they would work in a truck on October 23, 2019. The REEcorner incorporates the motor, braking, suspension, and steering systems in a single unit attached both to the wheel and to the electric platform with bolts.

If anything goes wrong with any REEcorner, all it takes is replacing it with a working one in less than one hour, according to REE. For transportation companies, that implies the downtime for their trucks will be greatly reduced. These REEcorners can then be repaired and are ready to be used again without interfering with the truck’s operation.

The skateboard platform will basically house the battery pack. However, Hino and REE decided it could be more than just that. It will also support what the companies are calling Mobility Service Modules. They are swappable bodies that can help companies have multiple uses for the same powertrain.

More REE News:

Now We Can Explain How The REE In-Wheel Motor Works

If you need a food truck, you can drive it where you are authorized to work. The Mobility Service Module for your kitchen can then stay at this location while using the modular platform to go somewhere else to load stuff, for example. 

Gallery: Hino And REE Announce Plans To Build A Truck With REEcorner

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It is not clear yet how replacing these Mobility Service Modules will work. We guess that the prototype REE and Hino plan to reveal in 2022 will explain the process. If it is something practical and feasible, we could be watching a revolution in cargo transportation powered by a really clever idea. With a lower cost to transport goods, their prices may also fall. What’s not to like about the whole concept, right?