UK outfit the Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC) has outlined plans to build up to 5000 new electric commercial vehicles per annum under its own brand, and on behalf of third-party manufacturers, all of which will be based on its new state-of-the-art EV platform.

Called Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES), the highly flexible architecture allows the niche vehicle industry to meet the considerable challenges of transitioning to an electric future by providing a sophisticated, yet cost-effective EV platform ‘off-the-shelf’.

Highly customisable for different body styles, sizes and configurations, PACES can support any low-to-medium volume manufacturer, specialist vehicle converter or start-up, and complies with ISO regulations and European Small Series Type Approval safety standards. Its cell-to-chassis system means batteries are fitted directly to the primary structure (rather than having a separate pack), optimising stiffness and minimising weight.

Fully supported by a leading UK-based EV technology supply chain, WEVC has undergone a comprehensive development process with PACES over the last two years and is now market-ready.

Capable of providing the basis for a whole new range of bespoke electric last mile, vans, trucks and buses – in fact, any type of commercial vehicle – production manufacturing of PACES-based commercial EVs by WEVC is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2023.

Watt EV Company will reveal a first prototype electric commercial vehicle, based on PACES, by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

Neil Yates, founder and owner of Watt Electric Vehicle Company, said: “As electrification of the sector only accelerates, what commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators need is a ready-to-go, sophisticated yet cost-effective EV platform on which to build their vehicles – that is Watt Electric Vehicle Company’s PACES architecture.”