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Arrival To Build Its 2nd Area Electric Vehicle Factory, Near Airport

British electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival is already building an electric bus facility in Rock Hill. The new factory near Charlotte Douglas Airport will make delivery vans for UPS.
Arrival
British electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival is already building an electric bus facility in Rock Hill, shown here. The new factory near Charlotte Douglas International Airport will make delivery vans for UPS.

British electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival says it will build its second "microfactory" in the Charlotte area, on a site near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The company says the $41.2 million plant will create 250 jobs and make electric delivery vans for UPS.

It's the company's third major announcement about facilities and jobs in the Charlotte area in recent months.

Last fall, Arrival announced plans for a microfactory in Rock Hill, to produce electric buses. And in December, the company announced it was putting its North American headquarters in Charlotte's South End.

Altogether, the company is creating 650 jobs in the Charlotte region.

Both Charlotte and Mecklenburg County offered incentives to win the deal. The city is reimbursing Arrival for up to 90% of property taxes for up to seven years, a maximum of $657,094. Mecklenburg County also offered a 90% property tax refund over five years, worth up to $906,824.

The Charlotte factory is expected to begin production in the third quarter of 2022. The Rock Hill factory could be open this fall.

“Our newest microfactory will be producing two different classes of EV Vans for our U.S. customers, expanding the zero-emissions options for fleet operators and accelerating the mass adoption of electric vehicles," Arrival Automotive CEO Michael Ableson said in a statement. " We are pleased to increase our investment as we extend our partnership with the City of Charlotte."

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles welcomed the expansion.

"Their decision to locate their microfactory in west Charlotte will have a major impact on our residents, bringing new, well-paying career opportunities to the neighborhood, in a high-tech environment that is rooted in sustainability,” Lyles said in a news release. “These are the jobs of the future and we couldn’t be happier they choose to bring these opportunities to our residents.”

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David Boraks previously covered climate change and the environment for WFAE. See more at www.wfae.org/climate-news. He also has covered housing and homelessness, energy and the environment, transportation and business.