UK electric vehicle maker to build purpose-built car for Uber

Uber Arrival electric car 05052021
Uber Arrival electric car 05052021

Electric vehicle manufacturer, Arrival, is partnering with Uber to develop an affordable and purpose-build electric car for ride-hailing drivers.

The car is expected to enter production in 2023.

The electric vehicle company acquired a new factory in Bicester in 2020, which plans to be in production by next year. R&D takes place at a facility in Banbury.

The Arrival Car hopes to address the global need to shift ride-hailing and car sharing services, with over 30 million estimated drivers across the ride-hailing sector, to electric to reduce emissions and improve air quality in cities.

As a typical ride-hailing vehicle will on average drive 45-50,000km a year, versus 12,000km for a typical vehicle, Arrival Car will prioritise driver comfort, safety, and convenience, while ensuring the passengers enjoy a premium experience.

Arrival will collaborate with Uber drivers in the design process over the coming months to ensure the Arrival Car reflects the needs of professional drivers and their passengers, with the final vehicle design expected to be revealed before the end of 2021.

Related: Arrival is ramping up production with microfactories


Following the launch of Uber’s Clean Air Plan in London two years ago, more than £135 million has been raised to support drivers with the cost of switching to a fully electric vehicle. Uber’s focus is now to encourage drivers to apply for EV Assistance under the Clean Air Plan. This will help clean up urban transport and drive a mass market for EVs.

The Arrival Car will join Arrival’s previously announced commercial products, the Bus and Van, to provide cities with a multi-modal zero-emission transportation ecosystem that they require in order to meet their sustainability goals over the coming years. This integrated transportation ecosystem will create cleaner, more equitable mobility solutions for people living in cities that Arrival believes will have a radical impact on their health and opportunities.

Ride-hailing plays a key role in creating accessible and efficient multi-modal transportation systems reducing both total numbers of vehicles in cities, as well as emissions, which is expected to have an oversized impact on real world pollution globally.

Arrival’s Microfactories will enable decentralised production in cities around the world, producing vehicles close to areas of demand, using local talent and paying local taxes. This strategy also enables the production of vehicles specific for the region to service the many markets seeing rapid growth in ride hailing and car sharing.

Tom Elvidge, SVP Arrival Mobility UK said: “We are confident that electrifying ride-hailing vehicles will have an outsized impact on cities, and we are keen to support drivers as they manage this transition. Arrival Car will be designed around drivers’ needs to create a vehicle that is affordable, durable and desirable. We have a great partnership with UPS to create a best-in-class electric delivery vehicle, and we hope to replicate that success with Uber as we develop the best possible product for ride hailing that elevates the experience of the passenger and improves drivers’ health, safety and finances.”

Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe said: “As our cities open up we have an opportunity to make sure that urban transport is cleaner than ever before. Uber is committed to helping every driver in London upgrade to an EV by 2025, and thanks to our Clean Air Plan more than £135m has been raised to support this ambition. Our focus is now on encouraging drivers to use this money to help them upgrade to an electric vehicle, and our partnership with Arrival will help us achieve this goal.”

Arrival www.arrival.com

Company

Arrival

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