Sevic powers up and appoints Henri Kirchhof as Technical Director

The Bochum-based manufacturer of electric compact transporters, Sevic, has further expanded its management team with the appointment of automotive engineer Henri Kirchhof as Technical Director, following the addition of marketing and digitalization expert Eric Saint-Frison to the company's leadership in November. Kirchhof will henceforth be responsible for the product development and production of the vehicles. The production of the Sevic V500e at the plant in Bulgaria is currently in full swing, and the company has already delivered the first SKD kits—partially assembled vehicles—to its partner in the USA, outlined Sevic CEO Alexander Brilis. Vehicles for customers in Europe are to follow soon.

"We are all the more pleased to have gained a leader with immense experience in vehicle construction and development in Henri Kirchhof," Brilis further mentioned.

In his career spanning well over 30 years, the engineer has proven his innovative capabilities at several Tier-1 companies and OEMs. Following various senior positions at Ford, Johnson Controls, and FLEX, Kirchhof excelled as CTO at renowned automotive suppliers such as the Tajko Group and as Senior Vice President at Street Scooter.

"No industry is currently changing as rapidly as the mobility sector. Especially the new forms of drive are reshuffling the deck in this business. New laws and regulations, along with changed user behavior and awareness, are accelerating this transformation. I see a great opportunity here for companies that, on the one hand, offer cost-competitive and high-quality concepts for this new mobility demand, and on the other, already anticipate possible future needs," commented Kirchhof.

The technical feasibility is a basic prerequisite for this, according to Kirchhof. The Sevic V500e is a compact electric commercial vehicle of the L7e-CU class. The vehicle is built in Europe and consists mainly of parts of European origin, as the manufacturer advertises. The company headquarters are located in Bochum. The development of the compact transporter focused on application diversity and scalability. The patented cargo-swap system allows for a quick exchange of transport modules. The V500e is also flexible in terms of range and acquisition cost: the standard battery size with 16.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and up to 150 km range costs €24,900 net (plus setup and transfer), while the long-range model with a 33 kWh battery and up to 300 km range (confirmed by TÜV Nord) is available for €29,500 net plus setup and transfer.