TOKYO—Hino Motors Co., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Cor., and REE Automotive Ltd., have formed a strategic alliance to produce electric trucks. The next-generation vehicles will feature a modular chassis that can carry a customized “mobility service module” on top.
Each interchangeable module will be capable of transporting passengers or freight. The EV trucks will boast a low-floor, full-flat design to flexibly meet customer needs and support autonomous driving applications.
“The starting point of this collaboration is the FlatFormer concept we showcased at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show,” says Yoshio Shimo, CEO of Hino. “It received an excellent response, and I am delighted to see this concept come closer to reality. REE is a visionary company, and I am confident that this business alliance will become a driving force for [us] as we take on the challenge of generating new value in commercial mobility to harmonize with future society.”
“The FlatFormer proved to be a turning point in future electric mobility and set the stage for this exciting alliance with the visionary team at Hino,” adds Daniel Barel, CEO of REE. “We see this alliance as a unique opportunity to fulfill our shared mission of improving quality of life for people around the world by developing and bringing to market revolutionary next-generation EVs.”
