EV start-up Arrival has revealed the design of a new, planned model aimed at ride-hailing services. The UK-based company has been working with Uber drivers for the past six months on the layout and design of the concept, one meant to prioritize passenger comfort and space, while also focusing on driver comfort, safety, and uptime, since these vehicles are expected to cover about 30,000 miles a year.

Dubbed simply the Arrival Car, the concept has been designed with urban environments in mind, featuring a tall body, short wheelbase and nose, wheels at the four corners of the its footprint, and a generously-sized rear passenger compartment with room for suitcases. It also features a long windshield that transitions into a transparent roof, meant to illuminate the interior with natural light. It has some things in common with the prototypical London cab, including a tall stature, long rear doors and plenty of legroom for rear-seat passengers, as well as some things in common with innovative, small MPVs like the Audi A2 or the Ford Transit Connect.

Overall, the design also has a number of similarities to the Arrival Van, developed for UPS and other businesses.
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"This is a key milestone for Arrival and we're thrilled today to be releasing the first look at the Arrival Car. Over the past six months, we have been working closely with Uber's drivers to create a vehicle specifically for the ride hailing industry, and making it affordable, durable, and great to look at,” said EVP Vehicle Platforms at Arrival, Tom Elvidge.

Arrival hasn't mentioned the concept car's drivetrain specs at the moment, but has mentioned that it intends to start testing quite soon, ahead of an expected market debut in 2023. However, the start-up has made it clear early on that its proprietary skateboard platform would underpin its EVs, and will simply feature different bodies.

Also, while the start-up itself is experimenting with autonomous technology, no mention of any level of possible autonomous features has been made in regards to the Car. It appears that it really is meant for ride-hailing human drivers, even as other developers are preparing for an impending Level 4 ride-hailing future.

Like its other offerings, the Car is expected to be built in Arrival's Microfactories, at least two of which will be located in the US. The start-up has recently revealed that it is building a High Voltage Battery Module (HVBM) assembly plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, which will be the company's third facility in the city, which is also serving as its North American headquarters. Another Microfactory will be in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The start-up plans to assemble its own battery modules instead of relying on suppliers.

However, Arrival hasn't detailed where it intends to offer the Car first, how much it will cost, and whether Uber will offer some kind of leasing or rental program for its drivers. At least not yet.

"Electrifying ride-hailing will play a crucial role in reducing the emissions of vehicles in cities globally, providing a sustainable, clean, multi-modal transportation system for communities," Elvidge added. "We are keen on supporting drivers with this transition by developing the best possible product for ride hailing that elevates the experience for both them and their passengers, making urban air clean in the process."

One of the biggest questions at the moment is whether the Arrival Car will be a compelling choice for private buyers who are not ride-hailing drivers, if its range and price converge in a certain sweet spot. The concept has quite a bit going for it as a roomy crossover, the kind that the Tesla Model Y never quite ended up being, because it opted for being a slightly taller version of the Model 3. The box-like design of Arrival's concept appears to be the antithesis of all the coupe-shaped electric crossovers about to flood the market, and it manages to look quite inviting and futuristic on its own.

UK-based electric-vehicle startup Arrival revealed this week its planned Bus model has achieved certification in the European Union and is conducting trials on closed courses ahead of testing on public roads. Scheduled to be the first to see a commercial launch, the model is now in the trial production stage, with Arrival expecting customer models to materialize in the second half of the year.

The startup also said its Van model is over 70% of the way through its certification process and is expected to enter production in the third quarter of this year.

Arrival, which has recently picked Charlotte, North Carolina, for its US headquarters and local production facility, expects to begin assembling its Van model in Charlotte by the fourth quarter of this year after production starts in the UK in the third quarter.

Arrival has already installed all the robotic tech required for assembly in the UK, with plans to begin outfitting its Charlotte plant in late summer.

"Our ambition is to create better electric vehicles people love to use and our vision is becoming a reality with the Arrival zero-emission Bus being our first product to achieve certification, a critical milestone for our Bus to be driven on public roads with passengers," said Denis Sverdlov, Arrival founder and CEO.


As it gets ready for the start of production in the UK and the US this year, Arrival is still spending lots of cash, but it posted a loss of just $10.4 million this quarter, compared to $1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2021. The startup still expects a loss of $185 million to $250 million this year, amid capital expenditures of up to $420 million, if all goes well and production of the two models starts on schedule.

Like other startups, Arrival faces the problem of having revealed concepts back when no competitors were producing similar vehicles, and is now approaching production in a markedly different world, when some competitors in relevant segments have already come to market. Battery-electric buses have been in production for some time, while the electric delivery van segment has now seen several players in recent months, including GM's BrightDrop and Ford's E-Transit.

Arrival’s planned EV hatch is expected a little later, aimed at ride-hailing drivers, at least in theory. In the case of the Arrival Van, it's probably BrightDrop that the startup has to worry about in the short term, though Arrival certainly has its own hoard of orders to rely on, including 10,000 from UPS.

There is one other Arrival model we haven't mentioned yet, and it's arguably the one that will be of most interest to private EV buyers: the Arrival Car, which is planned to be a purpose-built model for ride-hailing drivers.

Slated to enter production in 2023, the electric hatch looks like it could interest buyers other than ride-hailing drivers if it were to be offered for sale. As a tall hatch, it might actually see the most interest from private buyers, as there are not many crossovers of this particular bodystyle on the market at the moment.

EV startup Arrival, perhaps best known in the industry for its microfactory approach, is gearing up for the start of its electric Van model production in one of those microfactories. The company revealed this week it is focusing on this model in the near term, while hinting that its Bus (and likely the passenger Car model as well) are now on the back burner pending the influx of more capital.

Arrival plans to begin producing the Van in Bicester, UK, this quarter, slated for deliveries to UPS and other customers this year. The Van already received European Whole Vehicle Type Approval earlier last spring, but production in Charlotte, North Carolina, near the company's US headquarters, has been moved to 2023.

The startup reported an $89.6 million loss in the second quarter as it approaches the start of production, ending the quarter with $513 million in cash and cash equivalents. It's normal for startups to go through a lot of cash in the run up to the start of production, though Arrival notes that its 2022 production volume will be lower than previously predicted.

The company says it has created a $300 million platform for occasionally selling stock to raise funds, which will allow it to operate through 2023, at a minimum, without needing to raise more cash.

However, this reorganization of priorities has not been without victims. "Customer trials and investment in the Bus microfactory will continue once the Company secures additional capital," the company added.
The Bus model is the second Arrival project out of three that has been developed to production readiness, but now faces an uncertain future. ARRIVALArrival did not mention anything about the current production outlook for the striking EV passenger Car concept it revealed last year, originally meant for ride-hailing app drivers, but its fate now seems equally tied to the receipt of more capital investment.

"We have had big achievements in Q2 including the European certification of our Van and Bus products and successful internal trials of both Van and Bus on public roads," said Denis Sverdlov, Arrival founder and CEO. "In addition, we’ve made recent strategic decisions that will allow us to start production this quarter in Bicester (UK), deliver our first vehicles to UPS this year, and start production in Charlotte (US) in 2023."

Arrival now faces long-awaited competition from Rivian, which began delivering production models of its own van model weeks ago, as well as from General Motors' BrightDrop, which started small-series production last fall.

The company expects a slow start of production at Bicester this quarter, with just 20 units expected to reach customers in the fourth quarter of this year, with the rest slated to be customer demos.

Just three months after announcing plans to focus all of its energies on the US market, Arrival is in line for more downsizing after drastically scaling back its vehicle plans earlier in 2022. The company revealed this week that in an effort to reduce costs it plans to lay off 50% of its workforce, and is expected to end up with around 800 employees.

Last year the company dropped plans for its Bus and Car models to focus on the electric Van, planned for UPS fleets and slated to be built in one of Arrival's microfactories. The EV startup had already set up its US headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and announced plans for a second microfactory stateside, after the first one had opened in South Carolina. All the while, the company had maintained a site in Bicester, England, and had advanced quite a bit with plans to produce a large passenger bus, even obtaining certification for the model.

Arrival will soon be a much smaller company, focused entirely on the electric Van—a purpose-built model for logistics companies and other businesses.

This week the company appointed a new CEO, and maintains plans to begin assembly of the Van in South Carolina in 2024, albeit "subject to raising additional capital." But to get there, it is cutting costs and shedding hundreds of employees just a few months after letting go almost all of its UK staff. At the end of 2022, the company still had $205 million in cash.
"When combined with other cost reductions in real estate and third-party spending, the company expects to halve the ongoing cash cost of operating the business to approximately $30 million per quarter," the company noted.

Back in November, Arrival cited the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), expected to offer between $7500 and $40,000 in tax credits, as a motivating factor in its move stateside.

But even in a more favorable setting from a tax perspective, Arrival still faces many of the same issues including a raft of competitors including BrightDrop and Rivian. Both of those competitors, we should note, have already commenced production of its respective electric vans.

If it feels like a number of EV startups just approaching production are attempting to cut costs by shedding large parts of their workforces, that's because it is indeed a trend at the moment, even for those companies that have already commenced production, including Rivian. Arrival is the latest startup to face mounting pressures as it approaches the start of production stateside, amid mounting skepticism in the tech sector in regards to EV startups.

In a dramatic turn of events, UK-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Arrival has filed for bankruptcy, marking the end of a decade-long journey that saw the company's valuation soar to $13 billion without ever delivering a single vehicle to market.

The announcement came as a shock to many, with the once-promising startup failing to meet production goals and eventually being delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange after its shares plummeted by an astounding 99.9%.

Founded in 2015, Arrival set out to revolutionize the transportation industry by designing and manufacturing large electric vans, buses, and cars tailored specifically for ride-hailing companies. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, the company aimed to address the growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Arrival's unique approach to vehicle production, which involved using modular components and microfactories, garnered significant attention and investment. The company's ambitious plans even caught the eye of UPS, which placed an order for 10,000 electric vans in 2020.

However, despite the initial hype and promising partnerships, Arrival struggled to bring its electric vehicles to fruition. The company cited various challenges, including supply chain disruptions, rising costs, and increasing competition in the rapidly evolving EV market.


As Arrival enters bankruptcy proceedings, the future of its 170 employees in the UK remains uncertain. The company has appointed EY to find a buyer for its assets, which will be sold to benefit creditors.

This unfortunate outcome serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with investing in emerging technologies and the challenges faced by startups in the highly competitive EV industry.