WEVC reveals lightweight electric vehicle platform

WEVC specialises in the design, engineering, and manufacture of low-to-medium volume EVs, both under its own brand and for third parties. The company says its new platform is also based around WEVC’s Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES) architecture that was first presented in 2021.

The company based in Worcestershire and Cornwall, England, has created its new PACES platform for lightweight electric vehicles to provide what it says is the complete ‘off-the-shelf’ platform solution, designed to meet ISO regulations and European Small Series Type Approval crash standards.

The bonded aluminium platform has been specifically designed for low-volume manufacture. The company says the platform can be applied to almost any size or shape of passenger electric vehicles across FWD, RWD and AWD layouts.

While large-volume aluminium skateboard concepts use bespoke, complex and expensive corner castings, WEVC says the key to PACES’ capability is its structure system which is composed of lightweight extrusions that interlock and bond together called FlexTech. The company says this enables PACES to base chassis that are low-cost, extremely rigid and accurate, and delivered to
within 1mm of variability across the whole platform.

WEVC says that its use of FlexTech means that using the platform requires little upfront investment in expensive tooling or post-assembly machining, further cutting manufacturing costs. PACES’ use of a ‘module-to-chassis’ system means that the vehicle’s batteries are integrated into the primary structure, rather than having a separate battery pack, which it says optimises stiffness and minimises weight.

CEO of WEVC, Neil Yates, explains, “Electrification is a major challenge for small series manufacturers. With low sales volumes, it is difficult for these businesses – whether start-ups or established brands – to invest in their own new EV technology and develop it in-house.”

The new platform is the company’s response to customer demand. “We are experiencing surging global demand from customers keen to launch bespoke electric passenger vehicles – and our unique, proprietary offering enables brands to make the EV transition quickly, cost-effectively and with optimised technology, resulting in a product tailored exactly to their needs,” Yates added.

The British company presented its eCV1 platform for electric commercial vehicles in the 3.5-tonne class last year.

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