Arrival reportedly PAUSES PLANS for specially designed electric Uber vehicle
Designers of the first electric vehicle dedicated to the ride-hailing industry have put plans on hold in a bid to save money, reported the Financial Times.
Electric vehicle designers Arrival first revealed their finished prototype vehicle aimed at the ride-hailing industry back in December 2021.
Arrival announced its partnership with Uber in May 2021 to develop an affordable, purpose-built electric vehicle (EV) for ride-hailing drivers. The plans were to enter production in 2023.
The Arrival Car had been designed specifically for the ride hailing industry to give the 'best possible experience' for both drivers and passengers and bring clean air to urban environments where most ride-hailing mileage occurs.
Arrival designed a prototype vehicle that had leg room twice as large as that of an average car of the same length. The Arrival Car prioritised cost, uptime, driver comfort, safety, and convenience, given an average ride-hail vehicle will on average drive 45-50,000km a year, versus 12,000km, for a typical vehicle.
Arrival has been able to develop the Car alongside ride-hailing drivers from Uber in just over six months.
Arrival said they would start testing the Car, but according to the Financial Times this project and their electric bus plans have been paused.
According to Autocar, Arrival warned last month that they might have to lay off almost 800 employees as part of a cash-saving exercise.
