Arrival begins proving ground trials of its electric Bus

• Arrival has started proving ground trials on schedule in Q4 2021
  

• The vehicles are going through extensive testing, ahead of certification and public roads trials next year as planned

LONDON, Dec. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arrival (NASDAQ: ARVL), pioneer of a unique new method of design and production of affordable electric vehicles (EVs) by local Microfactories, today announced it has started trials of the Arrival Bus at a testing facility in the UK. The vehicles will be going through rigorous validation and testing ahead of certification.

The Arrival Bus is creating a new and improved public transportation experience for all users – from the drivers and passengers to the engineers, cleaners, and fleet owners – and reducing costs for operators, making the transition to electric vehicles more economically viable. The vehicle takes advantage of Arrival’s software ecosystem, enabling full connectivity, digital customisation, and deep access to vehicle behaviour and data. The vehicle can be tailored to meet local cities’ needs with its modular design, which enables configuration of length, range, battery, and passenger capacity.

“This is a key milestone for Arrival and we’re thrilled to have started proving ground trials, where the Bus is currently going through testing, ahead of EU certification and public road trials next year,” said Franck Dessenis, Vice President of Bus Platform, Arrival. “We’ve seen a strong interest in the Bus this year, specifically from governments who are looking to upgrade their public transportation networks, in order to achieve their zero-emission pledges. We’re partnering closely with governments, cities, and operators to build infrastructure solutions and seamless mobility services for local communities to support their clean energy targets.”

“This marks an important day as all of our milestones for 2021 have been achieved. We now look forward to bringing our vehicles, led by the Bus, to the market beginning in 2022, built by our Microfactories and helping to make the air cleaner around the world,” said Avinash Rugoobur, President, Arrival.

The first Arrival Bus features up to three doors, with flexible passenger seating capacity across the entire flat floor, allowing for greater accessibility, as well as creating more usable standing space and the ability for passengers to travel more comfortably. The vehicle also has wrap-around exterior and interior screens, adaptable lighting, transparent roof and a suite of digital features.

The Bus uses in-house components that are also found on the Arrival Van and Car, and Arrival’s lightweight recyclable composite materials. This, alongside common suspension and the wheels and tires at front and rear, means the Bus is estimated to be lighter than other battery-electric buses in the market today.

Following proving ground trials, Arrival will commence public road trials of the Bus with First Bus – one of the UK’s largest transport operators – in Q1 2022. The trials will see Arrival’s vehicles operating on existing First Bus routes in the UK. Arrival is expected to begin production for the Bus in Q2 2022.

About Arrival
Arrival was founded in 2015 with a mission to make air clean by replacing all vehicles with affordable electric solutions - produced by local Microfactories. Six years and over 2,000 people later, we are driving the transition to EVs globally by creating products that are zero-emission, more desirable, more sustainable and more equitable than ever before. Our in-house technologies enable our radical new method of design and production using rapidly-scalable, local Microfactories around the world. This method facilitates cities and governments in achieving their sustainability goals whilst also supercharging their communities. We are a technology company, a product company, a supply chain company, an automotive company, a mobility company, a fintech company and a service company – all rolled into one with a shared goal of true sustainability. This vertically integrated business model is how we can have the radical impact our world needs today. Arrival (NASDAQ: ARVL) is a joint stock company governed by Luxembourg law.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the products offered by Arrival and the markets in which it operates and Arrival’s projected future results. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Such statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on management’s belief or interpretation of information currently available. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including, but not limited to: (i) the impact of COVID-19 on Arrival’s business; (ii) the risk of downturns and the possibility of rapid change in the highly competitive industry in which Arrival operates, (iii) the risk that Arrival and its current and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialize Arrival’s products or services, or experience significant delays in doing so, (iv) the risk that Arrival may never achieve or sustain profitability; (v) the risk that Arrival experiences difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations, (vi) the risk that third-parties suppliers and manufacturers are not able to fully and timely meet their obligations; (vii) the risk that the utilization of Microfactories will not provide the expected benefits due to, among other things, the inability to locate appropriate buildings to use as Microfactories, Microfactories needing a larger than anticipated factory footprint, and the inability of Arrival to deploy Microfactories in the anticipated time frame; (viii) the risk that the orders that have been placed for vehicles, including the order from UPS, are cancelled or modified; (ix) the risk of product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to Arrival’s products and services; and (x) the risk that Arrival will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; and (xi) the risk that Arrival is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Arrival’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 30, 2021 and other documents filed by Arrival with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and except as required by applicable law, Arrival assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Arrival does not give any assurance that Arrival will achieve its expectations.

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