REE Automotive Ltd., an automotive technology company and provider of full by-wire electric trucks and platforms, announced that Penske Truck Leasing will begin to offer Powered by REE EVs to its customers interested in electrifying their fleets for demos and orders. 

"Today's announcement is a testament to the synergy between REE's revolutionary technology and Penske's commitment to leading in the transportation and logistics industry," said Daniel Barel, CEO and co-founder of REE Automotive. "This is the fruit of a long collaboration and incorporation of Penske's voice of the customer. We are working on additional P7-C configurations to maximize utilization within Penske's large product offering. By partnering with Wabash for this upfit, we believe that we were able to provide a superior product to Penske, meeting their requirements as well as expanding our roster of upfitters that can seamlessly integrate with REE's platforms."

This announcement adds further momentum to REE's current $50 million order book value. 

"We are looking forward to adding REE's by-wire vehicle to our electric truck lineup and giving our fleet customers the opportunity to demo the vehicle and experience the technology firsthand," said Paul Rosa, Senior Vice President of Procurement & Fleet Planning at Penske. 

Work Truck sat down with REE Automotive to learn more about the announcement. Excerpts from our conversation are included below. 

Benefiting from FMVSS Certification 

Penske's customers will have the opportunity to experience the intended benefits of the world's first U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) certified, software-driven, electric vehicle powered by REEcorner full by-wire technology, including: 

• Superior maneuverability and all-wheel drive functionality.

• Enhanced safety with fail-operational design via redundancies in hardware and software.

• Driver-centric cabin with excellent ergonomics and low chassis height.

• REEcorners are designed for serviceability for a low total cost of ownership (TCO).

• Strong residual values.

• Future-proofed, autonomous-ready, and over-the-air (OTA) upgrade capable.

• Modular design and quick time to market.

• Optimal energy efficiency.

"With a clean sheet design, we have created the world's first FMVSS certified, software-driven, fully by-wire (steer, brake, and drive) electric truck," said Kim Mathers, VP - Product Marketing & Strategy for REE Automotive. 

Being fully by-wire offers advantages for fleets that REE believes set its vehicles apart from others in the market. 

"When Penske's customers test our vehicle, they'll be able to experience how our REEcorners make maintenance fast and simple. We can swap a full corner in less than one hour, getting vehicles back on the road very quickly. Plus, service centers only have to carry one part - everything is in the corner," Mathers said.

REEcorners are also designed to improve efficiency with the "4-corner" regenerative braking and aerodynamic design. 

"Our vehicles sit low to the ground, so they are aerodynamic and designed to make it much easier for the driver to get in and out of multiple times daily. And, maybe most importantly, REEcorners are designed to improve safety by enabling tight maneuverability and wide visibility," Mathers explained. 

These factors are designed to decrease the risk of body damage to the vehicle and reduce risks to pedestrians. Additionally, the REEcorners have redundancies and fail-operational design. 

Partnering with its First Major Fleet Customer, Penske 

Penske Truck Leasing is a significant announcement for REE Automotive, which goes beyond the fact that it is its first major fleet customer.

"The real significance is bigger than just our first fleet customer - it is that Penske Truck Leasing will now be selling REE's vehicles across North America," Mathers said.

Work Truck reached out to Penske for some additional insight. “We are always interested in learning about new technology. You could say that learning and understanding are specific requirements and expectations when a new player introduces a new product. In this instance, you have a start-up provider in REE that is launching a new product that offers some unique performance options and that interests us,” noted a Penske spokesperson. 

Penske customers can now demo and place orders for the world's first FMVSS-certified, software-driven EV. 

"We're gaining exposure to a wide audience of potential buyers who trust Penske's expertise and rely on its recommendations for their fleet operators. As more and more fleets experience our trucks and our x-by-wire technology through our growing demo program, we expect to receive follow-on orders that will add more momentum to our current $50 million order book value," Mathers added. 

Penske Truck Leasing is a leading transportation services provider that operates and maintains a fleet of more than 445,000 vehicles and provides services including full-service truck leasing, fleet maintenance, truck rentals, and used trucks from more than 980 maintenance facilities and more than 2,650 rental locations across North America. 

"This extensive reach provides REE access to a wide network of potential customers. As Penske demos and sells Powered by REE vehicles at its locations, fleet operators can directly experience the benefits offered by REE's platforms, boosting awareness and interest in fleet electrification," Mathers said.

The PC-7: A Flexible and Customizable Option

The P7-C was built to encourage flexibility and customization to fit the needs of a range of customer applications. 

"It's one thing to give our customers a cab chassis, but it's another thing to partner with body manufacturers to come up with a full vehicle solution ahead of delivery," Mathers said.

REE collaborated with Wabash to upfit the P7-C with a custom DuraPlate truck body utilizing the unique low floor, all-wheel steer, all-wheel drive full-by-wire P7-C characteristics. Wabash's DuraPlate technology's lightweight properties enhance the feasibility of electric chassis for fleets while maintaining durability. 

Vehicles Powered by REE are upfit-ready and designed to offer considerable benefits for body installations, including:

• No Drill: Integrated mounting weld nuts so that bodies can be secured directly to frame rails.

• Battery Maintenance: Accessible from under the chassis.

• Flat Floor with integrated ramp: Structural advantages and weight savings by reducing the need for additional body mounting kits and independent suspension to minimize body stresses. The ramp takes advantage of the low-floor box configuration.

• Electrical Integration: Plug-and-play chassis harnesses for aftermarket electrical and ADAS systems.

• Driver Assistance Systems: Seamless integration of third-party systems; camera images can be viewed directly on the infotainment screen.

By partnering with Wabash to upfit the P7-C with a custom body made to meet Penske's requirements, REE has streamlined the backend work for its customers trying to configure a body on a chassis and understand which brands will pair well together. 

"Our partnerships with upfitters help make the ordering process more seamless, ensure that bodies are available when P7-C chassis is delivered, and reduce the time from order to delivery for dealers for a fully integrated product," Mathers added.