UK Electric Van Startup Arrival to Build North Carolina ‘Microfactory’

A man stands next to a fully-electric test van, due to go into production in 2022, built by electric van and bus maker Arrival Ltd, that has seen a spike in interest due to soaring e-commerce amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and looming fossil-fuel vehicle bans, in Banbury, Britain, on Feb. 23, 2021. Nick Carey/Reuters

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.