WEVC to accelerate production of electric commercial vehicles
Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC) has announced plans to manufacture up to 5,000 new commercial EVs per annum by 2023.
The company is also planning to reveal its first electric commercial vehicle prototype next year, with the concept based off its Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES) architecture.
According to WEVC, PACES allows the niche vehicle industry to meet the considerable challenges of transitioning to an electric future by providing a sophisticated, yet cost-effective EV platform “off-the-shelf.”
Manufacturing of the all-new PACES-based electric commercial vehicles are scheduled to start at an all-new facility located in the Midlands in Q3 2023. The project has also been supported by Innovate UK through its Transitioning To Zero Emission Vehicles Collaborative Research and Development competition.
Neil Yates, founder and owner of Watt Electric Vehicle Company, said: “Our PACES architecture and manufacturing processes are flexible and scale-able, a first “off-the-shelf” product specifically targeted for the low-to-medium volume industry capable of supporting any type of EV, with a cell-to-chassis structural battery system that optimises chassis stiffness and minimises vehicle weight.
“With ever-increasing pressure on urban emissions, coupled with the growth in home delivery, we have been approached by multiple commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators, who are in desperate need of developing the next generation of electric vans, trucks and buses.
“As electrification of the sector only accelerates, what these companies need is a ready-to-go, sophisticated yet cost-effective EV platform on which to build their vehicles – that is Watt Electric Vehicle Company’s PACES architecture.
“Thanks to the support of Innovate UK grant funding, we will reveal our first prototype electric commercial vehicle, based on PACES, by end of Q1 2022. Production of a new range of PACES-based electric commercials by WEVC is then scheduled to begin in our new Midlands facility in Q3 2023. Through this facility, we will have the capacity to build 2,500-5,000 units a year.”
