Arrival’s planned US headquarters in Charlotte

Dec. 9. Arrival, a British-based electric vehicle company, is establishing its North American headquarters in Charlotte, adding approximately 150 new employees and investing approximately $3 million toward their new offices in South End.

“We…are excited to partner with them on sustainable initiatives within our community. Their commitment to sustainability falls directly in line with Charlotte’s priority to move towards clean energy,” said Mayor Vi Lyles.

Britain has long been famous for its automotive-based electric systems, like Lucas, which were in such motorcars as the Triumph and MG.

Micro-factories

Arrival has developed a new method of designing and producing zero-emission vehicles using its proprietary hardware, vertically integrated technology and low cost micro-factories. The company will produce commercial electric vehicles, starting with van and bus models.

Micro-factories are highly automated manufacturing setups whose output can be scaled up by replicating the setups in large numbers, requiring less energy, less material and a smaller labor force.

The vehicles are said to be priced competitively with fossil fuel equivalents and have a substantially lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

The company will be hiring a variety of corporate positions, including human resources, marketing, finance, and administrative professionals.

Collaborative effort

“I am personally thrilled to be partnering with the City of Charlotte, as we bring our North American Headquarters to the city, and work in tandem to develop solutions for their electrification and sustainability goals,” said Mike Ableson, Arrival CEO.

The project was a collaborative effort between the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, with support from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, and Duke Energy.