Arrival unveils design for its first electric car

Arrival has revealed the first finished prototype of the Arrival Car.

The Arrival Car has been designed specifically for the ride hailing industry to give the best possible experience for both drivers and passengers and bring clean air to urban environments where most ride-hailing mileage occurs.

To achieve this, Arrival has created a vehicle that has exceptional visibility and comfort - with leg room twice as large as that of an average car of the same length. The Arrival Car prioritises cost, uptime, driver comfort, safety, and convenience, given an average ride-hail vehicle will on average drive 45-50,000km a year, versus 12,000km, for a typical vehicle.

Arrival has been able to develop the Car alongside ride-hailing drivers from Uber in just over six months.

Arrival announced its partnership with Uber to develop an affordable, purpose-built electric vehicle (EV) for ride-hailing drivers earlier this year. Arrival says the car addresses the global need to shift ride hailing and car sharing services, with over an estimated 30 million drivers across the ride-hailing sector, over to electric to reduce emissions and improve air quality in cities.

Jamie Heywood, Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe at Uber said: “The first reveal of the Arrival Car is an exciting moment for Uber drivers, who are switching to electric vehicles at a much faster rate than the mass market. Uber drivers have been working with Arrival to provide feedback on the design of the first purpose built, fully electric car for the ride-hailing industry. This exciting new vehicle will support our commitment for all cars on the app in London to be fully electric by 2025, helping to drive a green recovery and clean up urban transport.”

This timeframe and partnership to create a purpose built vehicle is made possible because of Arrival’s vertical integration utilising technologies that are shared across Arrival’s entire portfolio of vehicles that also includes the Van and the Bus

“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 Tom Elvidge, EVP Vehicle Platforms at Arrival.

“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. 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.”