London electric vehicle maker Arrival will open its North American HQ in South End

Arrival has signed a memorandum of understanding with the city, the company’s CEO of North America Mike Ableson said in a press conference Wednesday. The Charlotte headquarters marks “a real capstone” to what has been an exciting year, Ableson said.

This fall, Arrival announced it will open a “microfactory” in Rock Hill next year. There, it will manufacture electric buses. A few days later, CBJ reported that Arrival was eyeing South End for a new corporate office.

A few details about the project:

• Arrival’s new offices will be at the Three30Five development on South Tryon.
• In picking South End, Ableson cited access to the light rail.
• Additionally, the vibrant neighborhood attracts young talent, the company said.
• The company will invest $3 million on the new headquarters.
• Arrival did not receive any incentives for the project, according to the city.

Arrival, founded in 2015, will hire “a variety of white collar jobs” at the South End offices, Ableson said. Those will include roles in areas such as engineering, procurement, and sourcing, along with roles such in HR, marketing, finance, and administration. It’s not yet clear what the average salary will be.

Sustainability goals: Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles described Arrival as “a tech company” that happens to make electric buses and vans. City officials say Arrival is a good fit for Charlotte, given their similar focus on sustainability and reducing greenhouse emissions.

This is what Charlotte spelled out in its 2018 Strategic Energy Action Plan, Lyles noted, which outlines strategies for clean energy in areas like transportation and building construction. For instance, the city plans to fuel its fleet and facilities with 100-percent zero-carbon sources by 2030.

In its MOU with Arrival, Charlotte officials lay out action items for collaborating on shared sustainability goals. Some include: Arrival consulting with the city on energy-saving efforts in municipal buildings, collaboration on educational campaigns, and partnering on workforce development programs.

“Part of its work is transforming the way people and packages move on our streets,” Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said in a press conference.

“Their focus is efficiency and environmental responsibility, which very much aligns with Charlotte’s priority to move towards our climate change goals, our clean energy goals.”

South End appeal: A growing number of companies are adding highly skilled jobs in tech and engineering in South End, one of the hottest office submarkets in the country. To name a few:

• Lowe’s is building a 23-story tech hub tower off Worthington that will house 1,500 jobs.
• Fintech company LendingTree will soon move into its new headquarters on South Tryon.
• Fintech startup Better.com announced plans last year to add 1,000 high-paying jobs at the RailYard.

Zoom out: Arrival is also the latest company to announce plans to add jobs in Charlotte during the pandemic.

Earlier this summer, Centene, a Fortune 50 health care giant, announced plans to establish a campus in University City. It will add 3,200 jobs there in exchange for nearly $500 million in incentives. In August, Retirement Clearinghouse announced plans to expand its corporate offices in Charlotte. The company plans to add 300 jobs at a new office in the Ayrsley development in Steele Creek.

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