New Electric Vehicle Microfactory To Bring 250 Jobs To Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC — Electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival Automotive is investing $41.2 million to build a new microfactory for electric vehicle production in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County officials announced this week.

The new electric delivery van production facility, which is slated to open in West Charlotte before the end of 2022, is expected to create 250 jobs and marks the third major investment in the region in less than a year.

In December, the company announced it was establishing its corporate headquarters in Charlotte, following a decision to open an electric bus microfactory in Rock Hill, South Carolina last fall. Collectively, those two facilities are also expected to create more than 650 new jobs in the region, the company said.

The announcement of new jobs is a welcome one in Mecklenburg County, which closed out 2020 with 6.1 percent unemployment.

"We are pleased to partner with Arrival to bring new employment opportunities to the County, specifically to the West Charlotte area," George Dunlap, chair of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement. “As a County we have worked to build a thriving manufacturing sector to help bridge the economic mobility gaps in our community.”

Rolling off the production line at the new Charlotte facility will be electric delivery vans, many of which are expected to enter UPS' North American fleet.

"Our newest Microfactory will be producing two different classes of EV Vans for our US customers, expanding the zero-emissions options for fleet operators and accelerating the mass adoption of electric vehicles," said Michael Ableson, CEO of Arrival Automotive.

The new facility will be located in the Meadow Oak Commerce Center at Billy Graham Parkway and Tyvola Road near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and is expected to assemble up to 10,000 vans annually.

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