Source: Arrival
London-based and Hyundai-backed EV start-up Arrival has announced it will build a High Voltage Battery Module (HVBM) assembly plant in the United States which will supply its two ‘microfactories’ in North and South Carolina.
Arrival came out of stealth mode in early 2020, backed by a €100 million ($A165 million) investment from South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia. In the middle of 2020, Arrival unveiled an all-electric bus and its plan to reinvent the automotive industry by relying on “microfactories” instead of “gigafactories”.
This was followed in October 2020 by a $US118 million ($A165 million) fundraise which was designed to support the company’s expansion into the United States, including the launch of its first US microfactory in South Carolina.
In addition to its South Carolina facilities, Arrival now boasts a North American headquarters and van microfactory in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will now be adding its High Voltage Battery Module (HVBM) assembly plant to the region, located on the west side of Charlotte.
The facility will add 150 jobs and require investment of approximately $US11.5 million and will assemble the company’s proprietary battery modules that are used in all of its platforms.
Arrival’s battery modules allow the customer to configure their battery requirements according to their specific needs and fit within Arrival’s plug-and-play hardware and software architecture which allows for scalability, upgradability, as well as ease of repairs and maintenance.
The battery modules manufactured in Arrival’s new Charlotte assembly plant will be used in the Arrival Bus and Van being built at nearby microfactories.
The new battery assembly plant also follows on the heels of Arrival’s announcement that it will collaborate with Li-Cycle, a leading lithium-ion battery recycler in North America, to create a closed-loop EV battery supply chain in the U.S. and Europe.
In addition to the Arrival Bus and Van which are in production in Charlotte, Arrival also teamed up with ridesharing giant Uber earlier this year to develop an affordable electric vehicle (EV) purpose-built for ridesharing drivers and which is expected to enter production in the third quarter of 2023.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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