CHARLOTTE — A high voltage battery plant will be bringing 150 jobs to west Charlotte, officials announced on Monday.
Arrival, a British-based company that focuses on replacing all vehicles with affordable electric solutions, said it will be investing approximately $11.5 million in the plant.
This will be Arrival’s third facility in Charlotte, including its North American headquarters in South End and its van microfactory.
“North Carolina is leading the way in developing and securing our clean energy future and we’re excited that Arrival Automotive is expanding its electric vehicle operations in Charlotte,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “Our high-quality workforce and booming clean energy industry will help the company reach the goal of making electric vehicles affordable and accessible for everyone.”
Arrival assembles its own proprietary battery modules and those batteries can be used in all of its platforms. This enables customers to configure their battery requirements to fit their specific needs.
The in-house design fits within Arrival’s plug-and-play hardware and software architecture that allows for scalability, upgradability and ease of repairs and maintenance.
Arrival’s software runs across all of its in-house components, diagnosing potential issues and optimizing the customer experience, improving the total cost of operations.
Manufacturers say operators will be able to replace just one module instead of a whole pack, saving both costs and downtime. The batteries will be used in the vehicles produced at the van microfactory. They will also be used in other products, such as the Arrival Bus and Van.
The City of Charlotte says Arrival’s mission aligns with its 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 community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for the City of Charlotte.
The initiative strives to have city fleets and facilities be 100% fueled by zero-carbon sources by 2030.
“We are thrilled that Arrival has decided to add even more jobs and investments in Charlotte’s west side,” Mayor Vi Lyles said. “This announcement further builds on our working partnership and I look forward to achieving lasting results in our shared goal to create a greener city.”
The project was a collaborative effort between the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and the City of Charlotte, with support from the North Carolina Governor’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
(WATCH BELOW: Who’s hiring? Here’s a list of job opportunities in the Charlotte area)
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