Electric vehicle startup Arrival has started trials of the Arrival Bus at a testing facility in the UK.
“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 that 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.”
The first Arrival Bus features up to three doors, with flexible passenger seating capacity across the entire flat floor, enabling greater accessibility as well as creating more usable standing space and the ability for passengers to travel more comfortably. The vehicle also has wraparound exterior and interior screens, adaptable lighting, a 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 the 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 transportation operators – in Q1 2022. The trials will see vehicles operating on existing First Bus routes in the UK, ahead of the predicted start of production in Q2 2022.
