This EV startup, once valued at $13b, is on the verge of total collapse
Once an EV darling thought to revolutionize EV production with its concept of micro-factories that crank out delivery vans for the likes of Uber and UPS, UK startup Arrival is in a desperate search for funding after being delisted from Nasdaq this week.
Nasdaq suspended trading of Arrival shares this week, followed by a formal delisting, Reuters reports. The action is the result of Arrival being late in posting financial results and failing to file a remediation plan and hold an annual shareholder meeting.
After announcing it was slashing its workforce by 50% last year, Arrival said it had receive a lifeline two months ago in the form of a $50 million investment. At the time of the delisting, the company is reported to be worth $20 million.
According to Reuters, the company is talking to Ernst and Young accounting to handle next steps (i.e., bankruptcy filing) if it can’t secure emergency funding.
Electrek’s Scooter Doll has chronicled the company’s many woes since going public in 2021 with a SPAC. Originally its shares were backed by Hyundai, Kia, and UPS, with the company built on the promise of more efficient EV production built on micro-factories that would churn out buses and delivery vans for Uber and UPS.
After going public, Arrival struggled to keep its business afloat, burning through mountains of cash and going through multiple rounds of layoffs and swapping out CEOs. In a desperate bid for more money, it tried to merge with another SPAC last year.
Back in late 2022, the company triggered a noncompliance letter from Nasdaq for dipping below $1 per share for months, but the company managed to pull through that slump without getting delisted.
Last year, Arrival had made deal with Kensington Capital Acquisition that could have brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, but that deal collapsed, Reuters reports.
Electrek’s Take
Arrival’s shares dropped nearly 95% this year, so it’s the desperate end of days for the startup, with few options to salvage the situation. While the company had targeted this year as the date for starting production of its delivery van in Charlotte, North Carolina, only a miracle will make that a reality now. To date, Arrival hasn’t delivered a fully working production-level EV to any of its prospective customers, reports TechCrunch.
It’s not easy out there for EV startups – especially SPAC EV companies in that money is hard to come by. Lordstown Motors and Proterra have gone belly up. California’s Faraday Future, which has just relaunched delivery of its luxury $309,000 electric car, recently received a stern warning from NASDAQ due to plummeting share price. It has more time to turn it around, but EV investors are likely looking for other opportunities out there.
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With its tire-blistering acceleration and record-setting performance, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra has been getting attention throughout the auto industry, impressing everyone who’s seen it. That “everyone” now seems to include the OG supercar brand, itself.
CarNewsChina posted pictures from a Weibo user that reportedly show a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra exiting the storied Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. According to a Chinese blogger going by 西米露在博洛尼亚 (which seems to translate to “Sago Dessert in Bologna”), the prancing horse brand is actively benchmarking the Chinese hypercar for its own upcoming EV.
The SU7 Ultra was definitely coming from inside Ferrari’s facility. After verification, we learned this specific vehicle was officially purchased by Ferrari for testing, and the development of their next-generation electric platform.
Yet another Chinese auto blogger, 苏黎世贝勒爷, claims that Ferrari representatives visited Xiaomi headquarters last year, allegedly to discuss the joint development of next-generation high-performance EV motors.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra made its debut last year, promising 1,548 hp, sub 2.0-second 0-60 mph times, and a top speed well over 200 mph – all at a price lower than a Tesla Model S Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The car sold out almost immediately after it was unveiled, racking up some 50,000 orders almost overnight.
The new electric benchmark
In the automotive world, “benchmarking” is a process in which car companies systematically tear down each others’ competitive products to compare everything from sound insulation, vehicle ride and handling, component materials, and even manufacturing methods against their own or against other industry leaders. The goal is to evaluate performance, cost, quality, and other key metrics, effectively figuring out “where they stand” in the market.
If Ferrari really did buy an SU7 to benchmark it against their own upcoming electric supercar, it’s more than just a curiosity – it could mean that the highest tiers of automotive innovation have shifted from West to East. Maybe forever.
Featured image via Xiaomi; sources throughout the post.
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We’re finally getting our first teases of the upgraded 2027 Chevy Bolt, built on GM’s battery/motor platform formerly known as Ultium. So far, so good for the vehicle, which will be revealed later this Fall.
Chevy took to social media today to tease the 2027 Chevy Bolt, saying, “You asked, we listened. The #ChevyBolt is back and better than ever. More this fall. 👀”
Chevy ended the original Bolt program with the 2023 model, which was loved by a loyal group of customers (including myself). Some of the major gripes, including charging speed and rear brake lights, already look to be addressed. Also, a new more aggressive fascia is debuting.
Electrek’s take
GM has done an incredible job keeping the 2027 Bolt under wraps. It will be the first GM vehicle with a native NACS port after the Cadillac Optiq-V, which we spied in Seattle last week.
Hopefully, the new Bolt will have improved charging speeds over and above the 54kW that previous Bolts adhered to. One possible downgrade is that the old Bolt’s amazing wireless CarPlay/Android Auto system will likely be replaced by GM’s move to Android’s built-in experience. For a few years, the Chevy Bolt was the most affordable long-range EV, and it won our 2022 Electrek car of the year for its versatility and price.
I would, of course, like to see the new Bolt as a hot hatchback, but GM CEO Mary Barra has hinted that it will likely take more of the EUV’s SUV form factor. Things like AWD options, SuperCruise, pricing, power and range are yet to be revealed, but stay tuned to Electrek for the latest on Bolt developments.
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On today’s test-acular episode of Quick Charge, it’s a new day and a new Chinese ADAS test for Tesla to conquer – but this one’s got a LOT more pedestrian carnage to parse through! We’ve also got some great e-bike deals from Retrospec and a bladder-busting Hyundai.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec – the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure! To that end, we’ve got a pair of Retrospec e-bike reviews followed up by the updated Hyundai IONIQ 6 with nearly 350 miles of range from its updated long-range battery. With that, Hyundai now has the longest range Korean EV on the market, while Texas is adding megawatts of battery energy storage to beef up its troubled grid, and it’s doing so faster and cheaper than ever before.
Plus: Quick Charge listeners can get an extra 10% off the price of their next awesome e-bike by using code ELECTREK10 at retrospec.com!
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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