UPS invests in EV platform developer Arrival
Electric vehicle (EV) and platform developer Arrival, which recently became one of the UK’s most valuable unicorns, has received a minority investment from UPS (United Parcel Service).
Arrival designs and produces the key components of its vehicles, including the powertrain, controls, body and chassis, and leverages a modular design strategy for standardised parts to ensure simple maintenance and mitigate ownership costs.
Having reached such heights through the receipt of a US$100mn investment from Hyundai and Kia, Arrival’s latest financial boost will see it deliver 10,000 bespoke EVs for UPS’s fleet. The deal will also provide UPS with priority access for further orders, with details of each unit’s purchase price to remain private.
UPS will also assist Arrival’s development of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) for roll-out across multiple EV types, the purpose of which being to boost safety and efficiency as well as opening doors to automated movements at UPS sites.
“UPS continues to build an integrated fleet of electric vehicles, combined with innovative, large-scale fleet charging technology,” said Juan Perez, UPS Chief Information and Engineering Officer, in UPS’s press release.
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“As mega-trends like population growth, urban migration, and e-commerce continue to accelerate, we recognize the need to work with partners around the world to solve both road congestion and pollution challenges for our customers and the communities we serve.
“Electric vehicles form a cornerstone to our sustainable urban delivery strategies. Taking an active investment role in Arrival enables UPS to collaborate on the design and production of the world’s most advanced electric delivery vehicles.”
Denis Sverdlov, Chief Executive at Arrival, added: “UPS has been a strong strategic partner of Arrival’s, providing valuable insight into how electric delivery vans are used on the road and, importantly, how they can be completely optimized for drivers.
“Together, our teams have been working hard to create bespoke electric vehicles, based on our flexible skateboard platforms that meet the end-to-end needs of UPS from driving, loading/unloading and back-office operations. We are pleased that today’s investment and vehicle order creates even closer ties between our two companies.”
