Israeli Startup REE Reinvents the Wheel with a Modular Approach to Future EV Design

July 11, 2019

William Kucinski

REE – an Israeli startup – has debuted a flat, modular platform for electric vehicles (EVs) which could fundamentally changes the way they are built. By integrating all of the drivetrain components normally found under the hood of a car into the wheel of an EV, the platform optimizes freedom of design, multiple body configurations on a single platform, reduced vehicle size and weight, and increased energy and operational efficiency.

REE platform places the motor, steering, suspension, drivetrain, sensing, brakes, thermal systems, and electronics into the wheel, creating a truly flat, skateboard-like platform that lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity, and in turn, maximizes efficiency and enhances vehicle agility and stability. The design reduces a vehicle's overall footprint, weight, and improves both energy efficiency and performance – aspects crucial to the successful electric and autonomous vehicle development.

William Kucinski is content editor at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group in Warrendale, Pa. Previously, he worked as a writer at the NASA Safety Center in Cleveland, Ohio and was responsible for writing the agency’s System Failure Case Studies. His interests include literally anything that has to do with space, past and present military aircraft, and propulsion technology.

Contact him regarding any article or collaboration ideas by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..