British-based electric vehicle company will bring 150 new jobs to South End

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An electric vehicle company will bring 150 jobs to South End, officials announced on Wednesday.

Arrival, a British-based global electric vehicle company, will establish its North American headquarters in Charlotte. Arrival is expected to add about 150 new employees and invest about $3 million in their South End offices.

Founded in 2015, Arrival has developed a new method of designing and producing zero-emission vehicles using low-cost microfactories. The company will produce commercial electric vehicles -- starting with van and bus models -- at competitive prices to fossil fuel equivalents and substantially lower Total Cost of Ownership than comparable electric vehicles, according to a release.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Arrival to Charlotte and are excited to partner with them on sustainable initiatives within our community,” said Mayor Vi Lyles in a statement. “Their commitment to sustainability falls directly in line with Charlotte’s priority to move towards clean energy. The job opportunities will offer our residents a career where they will learn innovative new skills in a growing industry.”

The company will be hiring a variety of corporate positions, including human resources, marketing, finance, 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,” said Mike Ableson, Arrival CEO of Arrival Automotive. “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.”

The city said Arrival’s mission aligns with Charlotte’s 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 Charlotte. The city strives to have city fleet and facilities be 100% fueled by zero-carbon sources by 2030. In December 2018, the Charlotte 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.

Arrival has partnered with both public and private organizations, including blue-chip companies like Hyundai and UPS, to drive the adoption of electric vehicles.

The project was a collaborative effort between the city and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, with support from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, and Duke Energy.

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 investments within the city of Charlotte creating new career opportunities in health care, customer service, finance, and technology.