Arrival, the UK based electric vehicle maker is set to have a busy year. We previously reported that the company is starting public trials for its electric buses. Now, their younger cousins have arrived on the scene: the Arrival electric van. With production slated for 2022, the company will start road trials for the new model this summer.
Arrival says it is setting a new standard for commercial vehicles. It has already secured a client in American UPS, which wants to purchase 10,000 units, with an option for another 10,000. But before UPS gets any delivery, Arrival is taking 25 vans for a spin on public roads.
Arrival is projected costs comparable to the equivalent gas powered vans, which should be enticing to fleet operators that expect to save on operating costs by going electric. Low maintenance and fuel costs and eligibility for emission tax exemptions are part of the selling points of Arrival electric vans.
The new vans will have a payload of 1975 kg and cargo volume of nine cubic meters. Bigger options will get up to 17 cubic meters. Battery options from 67 kWh to 133 kWh will be offered. The base model will have a range of 112 miles on a charge while the top trim will get 211 miles. 120 kW DC charging will be standard. The vehicles are designed to allow for full height movement in the cargo area.
The design process took inputs from real drivers and fleet managers, making the vans practical and user friendly. Software developed by Arrival will collate real-time data on the vans for predictive maintenance.
Arrival will employ a host of novel techs in the production of the vans. It designed what it is calling the skateboard, which contains the electric motors, battery pack and controllers. An aluminum frame sits on this skateboard, which is then covered in thermoplastic materials obtained from recycled materials.
Arrival is also using a manufacturing process that it claims is cost effective (by up to 50%) but unusual for the industry. It is making use of several “microfactories” (open to the possibility of being distributed around the world) to produce the different parts of the van, rather than operating a single sprawling facility where all the parts are made. To make setting up production easier and faster, Arrival designed the production process alongside the van.
Written by D.O. for www.ShargeMe.blog