Arrival to build its first US EV microfactory in South Carolina

Arrival is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2021, with the start of production in Q4 2021.

Arrival, a global electric vehicle company based in London, England, has announced plans to set up its first U.S. Microfactory in York County, South Carolina. The $46 million (Rs 340 crore) investment into the region will create 240 new jobs.

Founded in 2015, Arrival works with cities around the world to create zero-emission mobility solutions for today’s transportation challenges. The company’s South Carolina operations will utilise a new cell-based assembly method to produce vehicles rather than a traditional automotive production line, allowing the production of any vehicle from Arrival’s portfolio.

With this model, Arrival occupies a smaller footprint, hence the name ‘Microfactory’. The Microfactory design is key to Arrival’s approach to bringing down the cost of electric vehicles to accelerate mass adoption.

“Our new Microfactory in South Carolina is the beginning of a paradigm shift in the EV space. We’re thankful for the great work at the state and local levels that lead us to South Carolina, and we are excited to be able to partner with York County to deliver our vision for commercial electric vehicles while investing in the lives of the community members that support Arrival,” said Mike Ableson, Arrival CEO of North America.

Operations are slated to commence in Q2 2021 and production in Q4 2021.

To manufacture electric buses first
Located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the company’s new operations will initially focus on building electric buses with Arrival’s vertically integrated approach to vehicle production, which utilises the company’s in-house developed components, materials, and software. Materials for the electronic vehicles will be sourced from surrounding regions through a localized supply chain, which will also help to reduce the environmental impact.

Arrival is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2021, with the start of production in Q4 2021.

Arrival has over 1,200 global employees located in offices across the USA, Germany, Netherlands, Israel, Russia, and Luxembourg.