The flagship EV bus has begun arriving at proof of ground testing in the UK before entering full production in 2022. The arrival bus marks the first of several electric vehicles in the company’s pipeline to be manufactured and operated in the UK and US, as well as the European Union.
Access is a technology company that specializes in electric vehicles, especially trucks and buses. In addition to headquarters in London, Reach has recently expanded into the United States, setting up its North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina along with a small Van factory on the west side of town.
With a unique business strategy that moves from traditional production practices, Access has been able to design and implement its components, software, and assembly processes in unique ways to maximize all aspects of manufacturing.
This also includes the manufacture of its own battery modules, which will take place at the recently announced high voltage plant near US headquarters. This new plant will also serve an additional production facility in South Carolina dedicated to the arrival bus.
Buses built on US soil will soon serve US cities such as Anaheim, California, which has already secured an order for five of them. Meanwhile, development of Arrival Buses continues in the UK and is one step closer to full production next year.
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Arrival of bus facing UK certification and public roads next year
According to a press release from the manufacturer, the Arrival Bus remains on schedule for 2021 by entering the testing phase of UK test yards. This is the most rigorous step to ensure proper verification and comprehensive testing before you seek official certification. Frank Desnes, Vice President of Bus Platform at Arrival, spoke about the development milestone:
This is a major milestone for arrival, and we’re excited to begin proving ground trials, with the bus currently undergoing testing, ahead of EU certification and public road trials next year. We’ve seen a lot of interest in the bus this year, specifically from governments looking to upgrade their public transport networks, in order to deliver on their zero-emissions pledges. We partner closely with governments, cities and operators to build infrastructure solutions and seamless mobility services for local communities to support their clean energy goals.
The arrival bus will arrive with up to three doors and flexible seating capacity for passengers across the entire flat floor. The EV is also equipped with exterior and interior wraparound screens, as well as a transparent roof that makes the entire cabin more open and comfortable.
One of the unique selling points of future fleets is the access bus modularity, allowing each EV to be designed to meet the needs of local cities based on length, range, battery and passenger capacity – all while maintaining a digital ecosystem of connectivity across entire fleets.
Once the pilot field trials are completed, the arrival bus will begin public road trials in early 2022 along with First Bus – one of the UK’s largest transport operators. Arrival is still on schedule to start production of the buses in the second quarter of 2022. There is no information yet on production schedules in the United States.
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