An agreement was announced on July 15, 2021, between LeasePlan and electric van maker Arrival to be the preferred partner for operational leasing contracts in the UK and Europe. The first order for 3,000 e-LCVs is to be finalized Q3 2021. Arrival, which is headquartered in London, UK, and in the U.S. at Charlotte, North Carolina, makes its products in microfactories to reduce costs, along with innovative build materials on ‘skateboard’ style chassis. There are currently four Arrival microfactories in North and South Carolina (USA), Bicester (UK) and Madrid (Spain).

Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan, commenting on the deal, said: “Demand for online shopping is skyrocketing, but this demand has to be met responsibly, and concerns about pollution from delivery vehicles need to be addressed. I’m therefore delighted to be partnering with Arrival, which will see LeasePlan delivering some of the greenest, cleanest, and truly innovative eLCVs to our customers. Together we are going to revolutionize the fast-growing eLCV market and make zero-emission deliveries part and parcel of the New Normal.”

Until now Arrival has been supplying large orders from clients such as UPS, which ordered 10,000 Arrival Generation 2 Electric Vehicles for deployment 2020-2024. UPS is also an investor in Arrival, along with Hyundai and Kia. But this is the first opportunity for fleets to lease the electric vans more widely. Avinash Rugoobur, President, Arrival, added: “LeasePlan is not only the world’s largest Car-as-a-Service company, but they have also shown a long-term commitment to carbon footprint reduction as founding members of the EV100 – really putting sustainability on the map long before it was popular. Arrival is thrilled to be partnering with a fellow company leading the charge to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions vehicles, bringing sustainable mobility, and cleaner air to cities around the world. This shows Arrival’s method is truly game changing and can roll out in multiple locations rapidly. With this new partnership, Arrival will be able to deepen and expand our presence globally, working with LeasePlan to bring the best possible products to its customers and in turn helping them to achieve their own sustainability goals.”

LeasePlan has a global fleet of 1.9 million vehicles with one in four vehicles leased being an LCV. As a member of EV100, LeasePlan is aiming to achieve net zero emissions from its funded fleet by 2030. Recently LeasePlan engaged NewMotion - a Shell-owned company that designs, builds, and supports smart charging solutions - to provide its customers with EV charging facilities at home, the workplace, and on the go.