PACES provides EV chassis solution

News

Watt Electric Vehicle Company has unveiled PACES, a chassis solution for low-to-medium volume manufacturers of cars and commercial vehicles wanting to go electric. 

PACES
PACES (Image: Watt Electric Vehicle Company )

The Cornwall-based company claim that PACES (Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard) is an adaptable bonded aluminium platform for low volume manufacture that can be applied to almost any EV – across FWD, RWD and AWD layouts – and complies with ISO regulations and European Small Series Type Approval crash standards.

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Where large-volume aluminium skateboards use bespoke, complex and expensive corner-castings, PACES is composed of lightweight extrusions – flat, laser-cut pieces – that interlock and bond together. This so-called FlexTech innovation allows PACES to form chassis that are low cost, rigid and accurate, delivered to within 1mm of variability across the whole platform, requiring little upfront investment in tooling or post-assembly machining.

Development partners on the PACES project are Stalcom Automotive Technologies, Equipmake,and Potenza Technology.

In a statement, Neil Yates, founder and owner of Watt Electric Vehicle Company, said: “As we rapidly accelerate towards 2030, electrification is a major challenge for niche manufacturers. With low sales volumes, it is difficult for these businesses – whether start-ups or established brands – to invest in their own new specific EV technology and develop it in-house. Watt Electric Vehicle Company enables the niche vehicle industry to go electric with PACES.

“This…modular platform has been specifically designed for low volume manufacture, whether for a passenger saloon, sporty rear-wheel drive roadster or commercial vehicle, and also comes fully supported by a leading UK-based EV technology supply chain. Over the last two years, Watt Electric Vehicle Company has undergone a full development process with PACES and it is now market-ready.”

The first production car to use PACES will be Watt Electric Vehicle Company’s own Coupe, a 1950s-inspired, two-seat fixed head electric sports car with near 50:50 weight distribution, a kerbweight of less than 1,000kg, and a 40kWh battery giving WLTP range of 230 miles.