Arrival announced it has started trials of the Arrival Bus at a testing facility in the UK. The vehicles will be going through validation and testing ahead of certification.  

The Arrival Bus features a software ecosystem, enabling full connectivity, digital customization, and access to vehicle behavior and data.

“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, VP, Bus Platform, Arrival.  “We’ve seen a strong interest in the Bus this year, specifically from governments who 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 vehicle's modular design enables configuration of length, range, battery, and passenger capacity.

“This marks an important day as all of our milestones for 2021 have been achieved," said Avinash Rugoobur, president, Arrival. "We now look forward to bringing our vehicles, led by the Bus, to the market beginning in 2022, built by our Microfactories and helping to make the air cleaner around the world."

The first Arrival Bus features up to three doors and passenger seating capacity across the entire flat floor. The vehicle also has wrap-around 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. 

Following proving ground trials, Arrival will commence public road trials of the Bus with First Bus in Q1 2022.  The trials will see Arrival’s vehicles operating on existing First Bus routes in the UK.