UK company announces plan to build electric commercial vehicles in the Midlands
WEVC says it will produce up to 5,000 vehicles per year.
An electric vehicle company based in the UK has announced plans to build up to 5,000 commercial vehicles per year at a new factory in the Midlands.
Cornwall-based Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC) has produced an EV architecture that can underpin a wide variety of commercial vehicles.
Called Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES), it is designed to give low and medium volume vehicle manufacturers and specialist vehicle converters a flexible starting point for whatever type of commercial vehicle they are building.
WEVC says it plans to build vehicles under its own name as well as producing for third-party companies.
In sketches released by the firm there are a few examples of the types of vehicle that could be built from the PACES platform, including truck cabs, small city-focused delivery vans, larger work vans and buses.
Neil Yates, founder and owner of WEVC, said: “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.
“Thanks to the support of Innovate UK grant funding, we will reveal our first prototype electric commercial vehicle, based on PACES, by the end of Q1 2022.”
The platform will have a UK-based supply chain and is said to be market ready, with production scheduled to begin in 2023.
To showcase the technology, the first vehicle to use the platform will be a small sports car inspired by the classic Porsche 356. It has a 120kW electric motor and a 40kWh battery, which should provide up to 230 miles of range.
There are 21 Launch Editions on sale now priced from £81,250, with deliveries beginning in 2022.
