LONDON -- British electric van and bus startup Arrival said on Wednesday that it will build a new plant in North Carolina and much of its production will go to fulfilling an order from package delivery company UPS for up to 10,000 vehicles.
Arrival's "microfactory" in Charlotte will be the startup's second U.S. plant and is due to launch production in the third quarter of 2022. Last October, Arrival announced plans for a plant in South Carolina.
Arrival plans a series of small plants -- which it dubs "microfactories" -- that will take up far less space and require lower investments than conventional vehicle factories. The plants will not include expensive paint shops or welding equipment, which also require a lot of space. The company also has a plant in England.
Arrival will invest around $41.2 million in the Charlotte plant, which will be able to assemble up to 10,000 electric delivery vans annually and create more than 250 jobs.
The van and bus…