Watt Electric Vehicles, a leader in the design, engineering, and manufacture of low-to-medium volume electric vehicles (EVs), both under its own brand and for third parties, today announces leadership changes.
The strategic re-structure sees former CEO Paul Faithfull become chairman, with company founder Neil Yates progressing from chief commercial officer into the chief executive officer role.
Bob Mustard continues as group chief technology officer. The new roles reflect the change of business activity emphasis as Watt Electric Vehicles transitions into a managed phase of growth which sees the business ramping annual output to 5,000 units per annum.
Watt Electric Vehicles, which is based across two UK sites located in the Midlands and Cornwall, will engineer and manufacture a range of low-volume commercial and passenger electric vehicles.
This will be both under its own brand and on a white-label basis for third-party manufacturers. Alongside this production capability, Watt Electric Vehicles offers engineering, design, and development services to third-party OEMs. This enables them to realise the future electric vehicle products they require to meet their business needs.
Advanced e-platform technology
Watt Electric Vehicles’ innovative model to deliver sustainable mobility solutions is based upon a low-investment, low-weight, flexible and scalable cell-to-chassis e-platform.
Known as PACES – Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard – the proprietary technology features bespoke aluminium lightweight extrusions and ultra-precise laser-cut and CNC-folded pieces, which ingeniously interlock and bond together, creating a technical innovation known as FlexTech.
Flexible, scalable, lightweight and cost-effective, PACES has been specifically designed for low-volume manufacture. It can be applied to almost any size or shape of EV, from sports cars to buses. This includes Watt’s Porsche 356-inspired Coupe being produced at its bespoke facility in St Columb Major in Cornwall.
PACES also ranges across front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive layouts. Plus, it complies with all ISO regulations and European Small Series Type Approval crash standards.
As well as designing, engineering and manufacturing its own vehicles based on PACES, Watt Electric Vehicles enables low-volume manufacturers of commercial vehicles and cars to go electric without the cost burden of investing in their own specific chassis and/or electrification technology, cost-effectively getting their products to market in an accelerated timeframe.
Next-gen low-volume e-CVs manufactured in the Midlands
Meeting the highest industry standards in efficiency, safety and durability, PACES enables Watt Electric Vehicles to bring a broad range of niche EVs to market rapidly.
With a capacity of 5,000 units per annum, the company’s new manufacturing facility in the Midlands will be home to its light commercial EV range, with the first product to market being formally unveiled in early 2023.
This 3.5-tonne cab and chassis unit will support a wide range of body styles and offer the option of a bespoke body design to facilitate the creation of mission-specific vehicles to precisely meet customers’ individual requirements.
In addition to releasing Watt Electric Vehicles-branded commercial EVs, ‘white label’ builds will also be undertaken for third-party manufacturers and OEMs, to which they can apply their own badging and branding.
The company’s breakthrough technology delivers the freedom to create
mission-specific e-CVs, from trucks and buses to vans and last-mile delivery solutions.
Neil Yates, Watt Electric Vehicles founder and CEO, said: “I am delighted to take over as CEO in this exciting stage of our company’s development. Combining our in-house intellectual property with strategic external Tier 1 supplier partnerships creates a unique proposition within our target markets.
“Our leadership team and board structure means we are superbly placed to meet the demand from our customers, taking the business forward into 2023 and beyond.”
