Compatible with any EV!
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Featured Israeli Companies March 22, 15:19
The global shift to EV = electric vehicles is accelerating.
Conventional automobiles consist of about 30,000 parts, but in electric vehicles, it is said that the number of parts, mainly engine-related, will be about half to one-third, and companies other than existing automobile manufacturers are entering the market. It will be easier.
There is a start-up company in Israel that is trying to increase its presence with unique technology.
(Taichi Soga, Director of Jerusalem)
Focus only on the "running part"
This image.
It is an "EV platform" developed by Israeli startup "REE Automotive".
At first glance, it looks like a mere chassis, but the chassis part has a battery.
And it is the tire part that is condensed with original technology.
In a small space, the functions for running, such as the motor, suspension, braking function, and parts required for steering, are integrated and housed.
By combining the tire part with the chassis, the platform is completed and it can run as an electric vehicle.
It has five types of platforms, from passenger cars to trucks, and can be used for a wide range of electric vehicles depending on the combination of body and interior.
Barrel CEO
"By changing the platform, we can fit electric vehicles of all sizes, and we can handle not only electric vehicles but also hydrogen engines. We are in a unique position that no one else in the market is doing. I think"
Aim for commercial vehicles in the Japanese market
The company was founded in 2011.
From the beginning, Barrel CEO has been aiming for development specialized for EV platforms.
To differentiate ourselves from other companies, we have derived the modularization of parts (= combining certain parts into a versatile group of parts).
That is the "tire part" that is packed with all the running functions.
The EV platform is aiming to start mass production next year, and is calling on automakers and others to cooperate.
The immediate target is commercial vehicles.
This is because commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses are becoming EVs, especially in the United States.
Barrel CEO
"I think it's time to aim for commercial vehicles out of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. For example, when you look at a courier truck or taxi, no one cares what kind of vehicle it is. On the other hand, carriers and others should want to switch to electric vehicles as soon as possible. With their own technology, they can quickly switch to electric vehicles.
America, Europe, and Japan. Japan is good at adopting new technologies quickly and has a willingness to invest, so we are considering such companies as partners. "
Japanese manufacturers also have a hot look
Japanese companies are also paying attention to their technology.
Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd. is a parts manufacturer headquartered in Aichi Prefecture.
As a Honda-affiliated manufacturer, it has made engine-related parts its main products, but as the EV shift progresses, there is a sense of crisis that the environment surrounding the company will change significantly.
The company invested in Lee three years ago.
Currently, as a partner, we supply parts called "gearboxes".
President Hiroshi Otsuka believes that in the era of electric vehicles, there is a possibility that the industry of "vertical integration" with automobile manufacturers at the top may change to the industry of "horizontal division of labor" in which parts manufactured by each company are assembled. ..
Collaboration with Israeli companies is part of "open innovation" for the survival of the company.
President Otsuka
"I thought that if they could create new drive parts with bold ideas and provide excellent gears with high precision and durability, it would have a very good effect. Three or five years from now. Then, I think that the change due to EV conversion is still limited, but the world will surely change drastically in 10 years. If nothing is done, it will die in about 15 years, so from now on, we will proceed with "sowing". I have. "
The evaluation of the market is
In February, Lee was decided to be listed on the US Nasdaq market using a method called SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company).
Indian automakers and North American auto parts makers are expected to invest, and the company has announced that it will have a market capitalization of 3.6 billion dollars and an estimated 390 billion yen in Japanese yen.
Based in Silicon Valley and familiar with investment trends in start-ups, Yasumasa Yamamoto sees the market as a reflection of the era of EV shifts, but points out that competition has just begun.
Mr. Yamamoto
"In electric vehicles, companies are collaborating to make parts by combining them like smartphones. In this flow, expectations are high for technologies that can be used as platforms. Technology will be the basis for making electric vehicles easily, but further differentiation will be required to improve its practicality, and I think the evaluation will continue to change in the future. "
Because it is a period of great change
In the automobile industry, a period of change called once every 100 years has arrived, including support for so-called "CASE" (autonomous driving, electrification, connected technology that connects to the Internet, etc.).
How will the existing automobile industry respond to the rapidly changing era and survive as emerging companies that are not bound by conventional ideas try to take advantage of this opportunity?
The strategy of the entire automobile industry in the world including Japan will be questioned.
Taichi Soga,
Director of Jerusalem Bureau
After working at Asahikawa Bureau and International Affairs Department, from 2020, Jerusalem Bureau
will cover peace issues and the latest digital technology.