Arrival, a company creating electric vehicles (“EVs”) with its game-changing technologies, is establishing its North American headquarters in Charlotte, adding around 150 new employees and investing approximately $3 million toward the company’s new offices on South Tryon Street in South End.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in London, UK, Arrival has developed a new method of designing and producing zero-emission vehicles using its proprietary hardware, vertically-integrated technology and comparatively low-cost microfactories. The company is developing commercial EVs – starting with van and bus models – at competitive prices to fossil fuel equivalents and substantially lower total cost of ownership than comparable EVs.
Arrival this week also announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the city of Charlotte, which sets out the company’s intention to work with the city on achieving the goals set out in its Strategic Energy Action Plan. Arrival believes its transformative approach can provide cities with the solutions they need to create sustainable urban environments and exceptional experiences for their citizens.
Arrival has partnered with both public and private organizations, including blue-chip companies like Hyundai and UPS, to drive the adoption of electric vehicles. Its decision to base its headquarters in Charlotte and build a partnership with the city reinforces its commitment to working with cities around the world to create personalized mobility solutions that help transform cities into better, more sustainable places to live.
The company will be hiring for a variety of corporate positions, including human resources, marketing, finance, engineering and administrative professionals.
“Today’s announcement is another exciting step for Arrival, as we build on our mission to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles,” Mike Ableson, CEO of Arrival Automotive, said earlier this week. “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. This partnership forms a roadmap in how we design a regionally integrated transportation ecosystem that pulls together components like EVs, charging infrastructure and digital mobility services, to enable more cities to achieve their zero-emission goals, connect local communities and future-proof transportation networks.”
Arrival’s mission aligns with the city of Charlotte’s goal to improve sustainability efforts and reduce greenhouse emissions. In June 2018, the city passed the Sustainable and Resilient Charlotte by 2050 resolution, which set aggressive and aspirational communitywide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for the city. It strives to have city fleets and facilities be 100% fueled by zero-carbon sources by 2030. In December 2018, the city council unanimously adopted the Strategic Energy Action Plan that outlines strategies for clean energy focused on transportation, buildings, energy generation, and workforce development/equity.
“We are thrilled to welcome Arrival to Charlotte and 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 toward clean energy,” said Mayor Vi Lyles. “And the job opportunities will offer our residents a career where they will learn innovative new skills in a growing industry.”
The project was a collaborative effort between the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and the City of Charlotte with support from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina Governor’s Office and North Carolina Department of Commerce.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Arrival to Charlotte and appreciate their selection of the Charlotte Region for their company’s multi-faceted growth. Their two-pronged investment — microfactory production in Rock Hill [South Carolina] and North American headquarters in Charlotte — illustrates that our region has diverse offerings to meet the needs of next-generation manufacturing, technology, and headquartered companies,” said CLT Alliance President and CEO Janet LaBar. “Arrival is bringing foreign direct investment and sustainability and EV expertise, offering opportunity for greater global visibility and mobility solutions in the Charlotte Region — we look forward to building on our partnership with Arrival.”
“Arrival’s selection of Charlotte as the base for its North American operations adds another forward-looking company to our state’s corporate community,” said Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “The vision and values of this pioneering business fit neatly within North Carolina’s economic strategy for the years ahead.”
Charlotte continues to be an attractive place for business relocation and expansion. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, companies such as Arrival, Centene, Chime Solutions, and Retirement Clearinghouse have announced new jobs and investment within the city, creating new career opportunities in health care, customer service, finance, and technology.