VEHICLE CONFIGURED FOR RIDE HAILING SERVICES

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a vehicle configured for ride hailing services; it can be configured also for other vehicle-related services, such as food and fast grocery delivery services and taxi services. Vehicles can be manually driven vehicles, as well as vehicles with SAE (J3016) Automation levels 0 - 5. The primary implementation is a fully electric passenger vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Creating sustainable environments, especially urban environments, will require a broad range of vehicle innovations; vehicles will need to be zero or low-emission, yet will need to be designed to be manufacturable to deliver purchase price parity with conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, despite including very costly battery packs or fuel cells. This new generation of vehicles would ideally be purpose-built for specific market needs or customer requirements, such as ride hailing, and food or fast grocery delivery services. Ride- hailing has grown enormously in recent years and currently attracts half a billion global users annually. Currently, ride hailing services, such as Uber® and Didi®, use the same vehicles that anyone can purchase, such as the Toyota Prius®; they are not customised to the specific requirements of drivers providing ride hailing services or their customers. Similarly, food and fast grocery delivery services, such as Deliveroo® and Uber Eats®, also use the same vehicles that anyone can purchase; they are again not customised to the specific requirements of drivers providing food and fast grocery delivery services or their customers.

But designing and manufacturing a vehicle that is purpose-built for ride hailing, food or fast grocery delivery services, taxi services or other services where vehicles are used to transport people or goods, is very challenging because these vehicles need to be designed to be manufacturable to deliver purchase price parity with conventionally manufactured, non purpose built vehicles even at relatively low volumes (e.g. 10,000 units a year or less). Price parity is especially important for ride-hailing vehicles because it is the individual drivers that purchase these vehicles. If we take battery-powered zero emission electrically powered cars, then achieving price parity is especially challenging. ICE price parity for low production run vehicles that target specific niches is not possible with the current vehicle design and manufacturing paradigm, with a 3-5 year design and development time and design and development investments of €lbn+. This conventional paradigm inevitably requires factories that produce a singular vehicle type, using moving production and assembly lines that require huge capital investment and require vast factories (1M+ square metres). This conventional approach locks in a specific vehicle design, including a specific battery pack and vehicle body panel design, for many years, so that vehicle design is able to react only slowly to the new acute environmental and urban transportation challenges we are now facing, and equally slowly to users’ increasing demands for transportation environments that are engaging, safe and zero emission. Low volume production runs of vehicles designed to meet emerging, specific customer needs (e.g. a ride hailing service who wants to make say 1,000 cars, customised to meet the requirements of drivers providing ride hailing services or their customers) is not possible with the current vehicle design and manufacturing paradigm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One implementation of the invention is found in the Arrival Car™; the Arrival Car is a fully electric vehicle that is purpose-built to work with ride hailing services; it may also be purpose- built for taxi and food or fast grocery delivery services. It is designed to deliver price parity with non-electric vehicles, enabling drivers to make a sustainable choice when choosing the Arrival Car and hence accelerating the global adoption of electric vehicles.

In this section, we will summarise some of the features that have been included in the Arrival Car to optimise it for ride hailing and food or fast grocery delivery services, improving the experience for both drivers and passengers.

In the Arrival Car, the front passenger seat is designed with a seat back that folds flat against the seat base, and the entire seat can move forwards until its headrest is under the dashboard, providing much greater rear passenger legroom - something that is very valuable in a ride hailing vehicle. In a conventional vehicle, the front passenger seat can tilt downwards and move forwards until the top of the seat (usually an integrated headrest) touches the dashboard or glove compartment; this gives some additional legroom to rear seat passengers. But in the Arrival Car implementation, the base of the front passenger seat can be lowered so that it is almost flush with (e.g. no more than 1 cm above) the cabin floor; this enables the seat to be moved forward further than would be possible if the base could not be lowered so far. Further, the dashboard may be shaped with a much larger void underneath it, to enable the front passenger seat to be moved much further forward than in a conventional passenger vehicle. The extra amount by which the seat can be moved forward, compared with a conventional vehicle, is typically 45cm to 50cm; this generates much greater legroom for the rear seat passenger. Rear legroom can be approximately, or at least 120cm, and in some variants approximately, or at least 150cm, which is normally only possible a large limousine. But the Arrival car is the length of a typical hatchback, e.g. 4.3 to 4.7m in length. Providing such extensive leg room aligns the Arrival Car with the trend in automotive design for the vehicle to become a ‘living room on wheels’.

Another feature that makes this possible is that the fixed rails on which the front passenger seat moves forward are also much longer than is normal: a conventional car might have fixed rails that are 45cm long and sit wholly underneath the seat, but the typical distance the front passenger seat can move forwards in a motorised seat is no more than 25cm. But in the Arrival Car implementation, the fixed rails are longer than the conventional 45cm; they can be at least 60cm long and in some implementations as long as 80 cm or indeed as long as 100cm. Unlike in a conventional car, the fixed rails extend in front of the front passenger seat. The result is that the front passenger seat can itself move forwards far more than the conventional 25cm; it can move forwards at least 35cm, and in some implementations at least 40cm or as much as 50cm. The fixed rails are also set flush with the floor of the vehicle cabin, so that the floor presents a smooth, flat surface that is easy to clean and presents no trip hazards: the front passenger seat also has to be useable by a passenger, and these flush mounted seat rails do not obstruct the flat, clear floor where the front seat passenger places their feet, even though these rails extend substantially in front of the seat.

We can generalise to:

Key Feature 1 : A passenger vehicle including a front passenger seat and a dashboard or panel that runs across the width of the vehicle, and in which the front passenger seat is configured with a seat base that moves forward and with a back that tilts downwards towards the seat base, so that at least a part of the seat lies under at least a part of the dashboard or panel when the seat back is tilted fully downwards and the seat base is moved fully forwards.

Optional features:

Front passenger seat features

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, and the seat is configured to move fully forwards from its rearmost position by a distance of at least 35cm.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, and the seat is configured to move fully forwards from its rearmost position by a distance of at least 40cm.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, and the seat is configured to move fully forwards from its rearmost position by a distance of at least 50cm. • the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, and the seat is configured to move fully forwards to provide rear legroom of at least 150cm.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, and the seat is configured to move fully forwards to provide rear legroom of between approximately 150cm and 180cm.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, so that a rear surface or back or the seat is substantially horizontal.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, so that a rear surface or back or the seat is substantially horizontal, to provide a base for bag, such as a food delivery bag, and the seat includes one or more straps or attachments to secure the bag in position.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, to enable a rear surface or back or the seat to provide a foot rest for a rear seat passenger.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, to enable a rear surface or back or the seat to provide a base for an infant car seat secured to infant car seat fittings in the seat.

• the back of the front passenger seat is configured to tilt downwards towards the seat base, and includes a television or computer display screen configured to move or pivot out from the rear surface of the back of the seat so that it can be viewed by a rear seat passenger.

• the front passenger seat includes an integrated headrest and at least a part of the headrest lies under at least a part of the dashboard or panel when the seat is at a fully forward position.

• the integrated headrest has a rear surface that is angled with respect to the back of the seat and is configured to slide at least in part under the dashboard or panel.

• the front passenger seat is configured with a seat base that can move vertically up and down, and the seat base is configured to move fully downwards when the back of the front passenger seat tilts fully downwards towards the seat base.

• the front passenger seat is configured with a seat base that can move vertically up and down, with a vertical travel distance of at least 10cm. • the front passenger seat is configured with a seat base that can move vertically up and down, and the seat base is configured to move fully downwards so that the lowest part of the seat base is no more than 0.5cm above the floor of the vehicle cabin.

• the front passenger seat is configured to move to a fully forward position in which the vehicle floor area between the front passenger seat and the rear passenger seat is sufficiently large for a passenger of average height to store a suitcase of at least 25cm depth in front of their feet.

• the front passenger seat is a motorised seat that is configured to move to a stowed position, in which at least a part of the seat lies under at least a part of the dashboard or panel.

• the front passenger seat is a motorised seat that is configured to move to a stowed position, in which at least a part of the seat lies under at least a part of the dashboard or panel, with a single touch or other single interaction, such as a spoken instruction, with the vehicle HMI.

Seat rails

• the front passenger seat is configured to slide on fixed rails that are mounted in the floor of the vehicle cabin to provide a flush or flat cabin floor.

• the fixed rails are at least 60 cm in length.

• the fixed rails are at least 80 cm in length.

• the fixed rails are at least 100 cm in length.

• the fixed rails extend in front of the front passenger seat when that seat is positioned for an adult occupant of average size.

• the fixed rails continue on the vehicle floor in front of the base of the front passenger seat at least 40cm, when that seat is positioned for an adult occupant of average size.

Vehicle features

• the dashboard or panel that runs across the width of the vehicle is configured to enable the top of the front passenger seat to fit under at least a part of it.

• the dashboard or panel that runs across the width of the vehicle is configured without a glove compartment in front of the front passenger seat. • the dashboard or panel that runs across the width of the vehicle is configured with a void that is shaped and sized to enable the headrest of the front passenger seat to move into the void.

• the rear legroom is at least 120cm with the front passenger seat moved to a fully forward position.

• the rear legroom is at least 150cm with the front passenger seat moved to a fully forward position.

• the floor between the front passenger seat and the rear passenger seat, when the front passenger seat is moved fully forwards, is substantially flat and unobstructed.

• one or more rear seats include a base that is configured to tilt upwards to expose an underlying cabin floor that is substantially flat, and the flat cabin floor continues to the front passenger seat, even when the front passenger seat is moved fully forwards.

• the vehicle is configured to operate as a ride-hailing vehicle.

• the vehicle is configured to operate as a food or fast grocery delivery vehicle.

• the vehicle is configured to operate as a taxi.

• the vehicle is configured to operate as a food or fast grocery delivery vehicle and one or more of the passenger seats include a strap or retaining system configured to secure a food delivery bag or grocery delivery bag when placed on the seat.

• the vehicle is a 5 seater vehicle, with a rear seat for up to 3 passengers

• the vehicle length is between approximately 4.3m to 4.7m.

The Arrival Car includes an integrated or built-in vehicle HMI (human machine interface), typically with a large touch screen display mounted over the dashboard; as is standard, this HMI displays vehicle related information, including navigation guidance, climate control and infotainment, and enables the driver to control the related vehicle systems. The Arrival Car is also configured to show on the HMFs display a ride hailing, taxi, or food or fast grocery delivery application and to enable the driver to interact with those applications via the vehicle HMI. So with the Arrival Car, there is no need for the driver to mount a smartphone on the windscreen or dashboard in order to have an easy to access device that runs the ride hailing of food or fast grocery delivery application; instead, all interactions with the ride hailing, taxi, or food or fast grocery delivery application can be done safely and rapidly through the main touch screen display that runs the vehicle HMI. And because of this integration between the ride hailing, taxi, or food or fast grocery delivery application and the vehicle HIM, new functionality is possible: for example, because the HMI system processes contextual data from the application, such as passenger pick-up and or destination locations, it is able to automatically alter the state of one or more in-vehicle systems, such as lights, when the location is approached. And looking back to Key Feature 1 above, if the ride-hailing application indicates that there are just one or two passengers (e.g. a passenger indicates that when ordering the vehicle using the ride hailing app on their smartphone), then the vehicle can automatically ensure that the front passenger seat is in the fully forward, stowed position before reaching the pick-up location. Likewise, if the vehicle order is not for a passenger pick up, but instead a food delivery pick-up (and many vehicles are used by drivers for both purposes during a working shift), then the front passenger seat can be automatically moved to the fully forward, stowed position before reaching the food pick-up location, so that the driver can easily store the food bag on the approximately horizontal rear surface of the stower front passenger seat. Another example: the vehicle could automatically flash its hazard warning lights when at the pick-up location to make it easier for the passenger to find the vehicle. When a destination is reached, the HMI display could automatically display the video feed from its environmental cameras, so the passenger can see what is outside. Another example: the HMI knows the distance to be driven to collect a passenger and take them to their destination; the HMI also knows the available battery range; if the journey distance is likely to exceed the battery range, or to take it below a threshold, the driver can be alerted in advance of accepting the job; the HMI could also automatically suggest a charging station for after the job has been completed. A final example: imagine that a ride-hailing operator prides itself on having drivers that drive exceptionally carefully and smoothly, maintaining an exceptionally safe distance to cars in front, staying under the speed limit, and cornering smoothly; these ‘service standards’ relating to vehicle dynamic behaviour can be captured in the ride-hailing app; because the vehicle is capturing this vehicle through its ADAS systems, the integration between the HMI system and ride-hailing app can be used to monitor and verify this compliance with the ride-hailing operator’s service standards; it can score drivers automatically with how well they remain in compliance, and potential passengers can see those scores to give them extra comfort that a particular driver will drive safely and well. Drivers can be informed as to how well they are in compliance, so they can take remedial action if their driving falls below the expected standards.

We can generalise to: Key Feature 2: A passenger vehicle including an integrated HMI (human machine interface) system that is configured to display vehicle related information, including navigation guidance, climate control and infotainment, on a HMI display and in which the HMI system is also configured to be integrated with a vehicle ordering application, such as a ride hailing, taxi, or food or fast grocery delivery application.

Optional Features

Ride hailing app

• the vehicle ordering application is a ride hailing application

• the ride hailing app exchanges data with the HMI system to enable the HMI system to automatically control one or more vehicle functions or attributes.

• the ride hailing app is configured to show on the HMI display trip requests and to enable the driver to accept or reject a trip request.

• the ride hailing app is configured to show on the HMI display a passenger name.

• the ride hailing app is configured to show on the HMI display the trip route on a moving map in a size designed for reading by a rear seat passenger.

• the ride hailing app is configured to show on the HMI display a photograph of the driver in a size to enable a passenger to verify that the actual driver matches the photograph, when the passenger is about to enter the vehicle or has entered the vehicle.

• the ride hailing app is configured to show on the HMI display the trip destination and predicted arrival time in a size designed for reading by a rear seat passenger.

• the ride hailing app is configured to enable a driver to rate a passenger using the HMI display.

Food or fast delivery application

• the vehicle ordering application is a food or fast delivery application

• the food or fast delivery application exchanges data with the HMI system to enable the HMI system to automatically control one or more vehicle functions or attributes.

• the food or fast delivery app is configured to show on the HMI display order requests, such as to pick up from an address and deliver to another address, and to enable the driver to accept or reject an order request.

• the food or fast delivery app is configured to show on the HMI display a customer name. • the food or fast delivery app is configured to enable a driver to rate a customer using the HMI display.

HMI system

• the HMI system is fully physically integrated or built into the vehicle.

• HMI system is data integrated with the vehicle ordering application to enable a driver to interact with the application using the HMI display

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process data from the application, such as the pick-up and or destination locations, and to automatically alter the state of one or more in-vehicle systems, such as lights, when the location is approached.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process location data from the application and to automatically unlock or open the vehicle doors when a passenger pick-up or drop-off location is reached.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process location data from the application and to automatically display at least one video feed from a vehicle camera when a passenger drop-off location is reached.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process location data from the application and to automatically turn on internal vehicle lights when the pick-up location is reached.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process location data from the application and to automatically turn on internal vehicle lights when the drop-off location is reached.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process location data from the application and to automatically announce over the vehicle speakers the destination and expected arrival time.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process passenger identity data from the application and to automatically unlock the vehicle if a passenger that meets that identity data is at a pick-up location.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process driver identity data from the application and to automatically permit the vehicle to be operated only if the driver meets that identity data and is driving in conformity with rules set by an operator of the application • the HMI system is configured to automatically process passenger type or preference information from the application and to automatically alter the state of one or more in- vehicle systems depending on that information.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process the number of potential passengers from the application and to use that information to automatically configure the vehicle seating.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process the number of potential passengers from the application and to use that information to automatically move the front passenger seat to a stowed position in which at least a part of the seat lies under at least a part of the dashboard or panel when the seat back is tilted fully downwards and the seat base is moved fully forwards.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process the expected journey distance for a potential job and to alert the driver if this distance exceeds a threshold related to the available battery range.

• the HMI system is configured to automatically process vehicle dynamic behaviour, e.g. from the vehicle ADAS system, and to enable compliance with operator set standards defined in the application to be determined.

• the HMI system includes a touch screen display that displays the application and enables the driver to interact with the application without needing a separate smartphone.

• the touch screen display is integrated in or fixed on a dashboard or panel that runs across the width of the vehicle to provide a clear view to a rear seat passenger.

• the touch screen display is positioned in the centre of a dashboard or panel that runs across the width of the vehicle to provide a clear view to a rear seat passenger.

• the touch screen display is the primary display for vehicle related information.

• the HMI system is configured to enable a passenger to control one or more features of the HMI using their smartphone, such as climate, music, infotainment, internal lighting.

• the touch screen display is configured to automatically display images from vehicle camera feeds showing the environment outside the vehicle, when the vehicle reaches its destination.

• the HMI system is configured to enable the driver to disable the application with a single interaction (e.g. a single touch to an icon on the touch screen display) and to return the vehicle to a mode used by the driver when not working. • the HMI system is configured to track vehicle dynamic behaviour, such as excessive acceleration, abrupt braking, violating speed limits, activation of emergency collision avoidance and to automatically transmit that to a remote server associated with the application.

• the HMI system is configured to track vehicle movement data whilst undertaking a journey for a passenger using the ride hailing app, and to automatically transmit that data to a remote server associated with the application, for passenger safety.

Auto-signalling to a passenger

• the vehicle is configured to automatically generate a visual signal when it is approaching or has arrived at a passenger pick-up location. o the visual signal is to illuminate an external screen or display on the vehicle to alert a passenger who has ordered the vehicle that the vehicle is their vehicle o the visual signal is to illuminate the interior cabin of the vehicle o the visual signal is to illuminate an area of the ground near a passenger door of the vehicle.

• the vehicle is configured to automatically illuminate the interior cabin of the vehicle when it is approaching the destination and it is dark outside.

Vehicle features

• the vehicle is a 5 seater vehicle, with a rear seat for up to 3 passengers

• the vehicle length is between approximately 4.3m to 4.7m.

• the vehicle includes one or more seats that include a strap designed to secure items placed on the seat, such as a delivery bag for items ordered using the food or fast delivery application.

Note that the Key Features may be combined with each other and with any or more optional features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention is implemented in the Arrival Car and the following figures all relate to the Arrival Car:

Figure l is a perspective view of the Arrival Car.

Figure 2 is a cross-section schematic view of the Arrival Car, including occupants.

Figure 3 is a view of the interior of the Arrival Car, showing the two front seats, dashboard and central touch screen display.

Figure 4 is a view of the interior of the Arrival Car, showing the very extensive rear passenger legroom when the front passenger seat is moved fully forwards, with its headrest under the dashboard.

Figure 5 is a view of the interior of the Arrival Car, showing the considerable box carrying capacity in the vehicle cabin, when the front passenger seat is moved fully forwards, with its headrest under the dashboard.

Figure 6 show the frames for the driver seat and the front passenger seat; the extended, extra long rails for the front passenger seat are also shown.

Figure 7 are a sequence of four cross sectional views of the front passenger seat as it alters from normal passenger mode, to being stowed in the fully forward and fully downward position.

Figure 8 shows the front passenger seat in the stowed, fully forward and fully downward position.

Figure 9 is a cross section through the front passenger seat, showing the rails that are mounted directly into an extruded longitudinal chassis member.

Figure 10 is a close up of the Figure 9 cross section, showing how the rails include a cover with a top surface that is flush with the internal cabin flooring.

Figure 11 shows the frame for the rear passenger seats.

Figure 12 shows the driver partition, separating the driver from the passengers.

Figure 13 shows the driver partition with its rear section hinged open and the driver seat fully reclined.

Figure 14 is a top-down view of the car chassis, including battery modules.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the car platform, including battery modules.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the car platform, with reduced side sills.

Figure 17 shows the main elements of the chassis or frame. Figure 18 shows the manufacturing steps that allow autonomous manufacture by robots of the Figure 17 platform.

Figure 19 shows the front axle.

Figure 20 shows the manufacturing steps that allow autonomous manufacture by robots of the front axle.

Figure 21 shows the rear axle.

Figure 22 shows the manufacturing steps that allow autonomous manufacture by robots of the rear axle.

Index

1 driver seat

2 front passenger seat

3 dashboard

4 centre-mounted touch screen

5 rear of the front passenger seat

6 floor behind the front passenger seat

7 floor in front of the rear passenger seat

8 seat base of rear seat

9 back of the front passenger seat

10 rails for seats to moves on

11 hinged system for raising and lowering the seat

12 base of front passenger seat

13 integrated headrest

14 seat runner that slides along rail

15 extruded aluminium side chassis sections

16 rail cover

17 region for cabin floor carpet

18 driver’s side partition

19 partition pole

20 driver’ s rear partition

21 rear seat base hinge

22 front crash structure

23 rear crash structure high voltage battery module longitudinal chassis member side sills boxes being carried in the vehicle

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Arrival Car is designed and manufactured using the Arrival System; the Arrival System enables a new generation of zero emission vehicles to be purpose-built for specific market needs or customer requirements, such as ride hailing, taxi services and food or fast grocery delivery services.

The Arrival System is described in WO 2021/255445, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. Section K of WO 2021/255445 has particular relevance to this patent specification. The Arrival System enables the design and manufacture of electric vehicles that are purpose-built for ride hailing, and food or fast grocery delivery services, and at purchase price parity with conventionally manufactured, non-purpose built vehicles, even though these purpose-built vehicles are manufactured at relatively low volumes. The Arrival Car uses hardware and software modularity concepts described in WO 2021/255445 Section A and Section B. It is designed to include the security architecture described in WO 2021/255445 Section C, and configured using the Vehicle Builder system described in WO 2021/255445 Section D. The Arrival Car can be brought from design to production in 12 months, as opposed to 3 - 5 years, with no price premium for being zero emission, and is produced using small cells of robots, with each cell producing both sub-assemblies and the entire vehicle (see WO 2021/255445 Section E) in relatively small and low capital expenditure (Capex) microfactories (see WO 2021/255445 Section F) that are not based on conventional long, moving production lines. The Arrival Car is configured to use modular high voltage battery modules (see WO 2021/255445Section G), a scalable system which enables battery packs to be made for the entire range of Arrival vehicles. Microfactories do not need huge steel panel presses because Arrival vehicles use body panels that are not made of pressed steel, but instead lightweight composites; composite panels can be made for the entire range of Arrival vehicles (see WO 2021/255445 Section H), including the Arrival Van System (see WO 2021/255445 Section I) and the Arrival Bus System (see WO 2021/255445Section J).

As noted earlier, the Arrival Car is purpose-designed for ride hailing, taxis, and/or food and fast grocery delivery. The vehicle offers drivers the ideal vehicle for their job, in a fully-electric car. Previously, drivers using ride hailing apps would choose vehicles that had been designed for personal use, and which were therefore not optimised for the role of a ride-hailing or food delivery driver. These vehicles meant significant compromises had to be made in the comfort, safety, convenience and affordability of the vehicle. The ride-hailing industry has grown to a multi -billion dollar industry within a short space of time, with significant growth projected, but despite this growth, conventional vehicle design and manufacture approaches make it impractical to design a vehicle that is purpose-built for ride-hailing; the Arrival Car is the first such vehicle and it is made possible through the Arrival System.

Overview of the Arrival Car

The Arrival Car, shown in Figure 1, offers an electric vehicle that is purpose built for ride hailing and/or food and fast grocery delivery sectors. The Arrival Car is a 5 seat passenger vehicle, approximately 4.2m in length. The Arrival Car also includes variants that are bespoke to individual drivers and operators.

The Arrival Car addresses the global demand to shift ride hailing and car sharing services over to electric to reduce emissions and improve air quality in cities. As a typical ride-hailing vehicle will on average drive 45-50, 000km a year, versus 12,000km for a typical vehicle, the Arrival Car provides driver comfort, safety, and convenience, while ensuring that passengers enjoy a premium experience, including rear seat passenger leg room that is larger than most limousines.

The Arrival Car joins the company’s existing commercial products, the Arrival Bus and the Arrival Van, to provide cities with a multi-modal zero-emission transportation ecosystem, in order to meet their sustainability goals over the coming years. This integrated transportation ecosystem creates cleaner, more equitable mobility solutions for people living in cities that will have a radical impact on their health and opportunities. Ride hailing plays a key role in creating accessible and efficient multi-modal transportation systems reducing both total numbers of vehicles in cities, as well as emissions, to have an oversized impact on real world pollution globally.

Arrival’ s Microfactories manufacture the Arrival Car using autonomous robots; Microfactories enable decentralised, low volume, production of purpose-built vehicles in cities around the world, producing vehicles close to areas of demand, using local talent and paying local taxes, and designed to meet the preferences of local drivers. This strategy also enables the production of vehicles specific for the region to service the many markets seeing rapid growth in ride hailing and car sharing. Electrifying ride-hailing vehicles will have an outsized impact on cities, with Arrival offering solutions to support drivers as they manage this transition. Arrival technology helps cities to realise their zero emission targets, while serving the ride hailing expectations of drivers and passengers. The Arrival Car is primarily a city vehicle and performance will be configured for this use case. Airport trips, private journeys and car sharing will constitute a proportion of use cases. The Arrival car is designed to serve as a member of a fleet, or alternatively, by a driver working independently.

Vehicle Packaging

The Arrival Car is the first vehicle that has been purpose-built for ride hailing. It is designed to satisfy the needs of all stakeholders of ride hailing, from the ride-hailing platform company, to the driver (who is generally making the purchase decision), to the passenger(s), regulators and citizens within the cities that ride hailing companies operate. The approach to design of the vehicle is to remove anything extraneous in order to deliver a simple, elegant and pared back design that elevates the experience for all users, is entirely fit for purpose, and is at a radically improved price point.

Drivers want to be able to get through a full day of driving without recharging. At the 90th percentile drivers in London drive 150 miles per day, meaning that 10 battery modules (HVBMs) providing 39kWh would be sufficient. However, in order to be comfortable that almost all use cases are satisfied at the 98th or 99th percentile, a 240 mile range per day is offered, using 14 HVBMs providing 55kWh. The vehicle platform accommodates up to 18 HVBMs. Figure 2 is a simplified cross section through the vehicle; the battery pack is shown having an upper stack and a lower stack, separated by a cooling plate.

The Arrival Car is designed to have a small, compact footprint, whilst providing a best-in-class internal experience, including far greater legroom than comparable vehicles available on the market. The driver is positioned in a command seating arrangement, with best-in-class visibility reflecting predominantly city driving. The rear legroom, from the rear seat to the driver seat, indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, is approximately 120cm to 130cm (compared with a VW Golf, which has rear legroom of approximately 90cm). As we will see later in this section, the rear legroom behind the front passenger seat can be even greater, and can be as much as 160cm, or in some cases as much as 180cm. Distinctive features relating to the vehicle packaging include:

• Largest passenger legroom in the market, within the overall vehicle size of a compact car.

• Passenger headroom is greater than a SUV, within a compact car footprint.

• Driver posture provides the optimal position for extended periods of driving, with a raised driver seat, providing better posture than an SUV.

• Driver down vision is best-in-class, in order to provide the optimum city driving experience available on the market.

Seating

The Arrival Car interior, as shown in Figure 3, is superficially similar to other 5 seater electric passenger vehicles. It includes a driver seat 1, a front passenger seat 2 and a dashboard 3 that runs the width of the vehicle. A centre-mounted touch screen 4 is the main HMI (human machine interaction) device.

The driver seat 1 and front passenger seat 2 are mounted on fixed rails (see Figure 6) that are set flush in the floor of the cabin so as not to provide any obstructions; the rails allow these seats to be moved forwards or backwards. Unusually, the rails of the front passenger seat extend significantly in front of the seat (e.g. 40cm - 50cm). Further, the dashboard 3 does not have the typical bulky passenger-side storage compartment but instead is shaped with a void; this allows the seat back 9 of the front passenger seat to tilt fully downwards, until the rear side 5 of the front passenger seat is approximately horizontal, and for the entire seat to move forwards until its top section is tucked underneath the dashboard 3, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 also shows the exceptional leg room now provided to the rear seat passenger sitting behind the front passenger seat; the floor area 6 behind the front passenger seat is not only exceptionally long, providing legroom of as much as 160cm (and in some variants as much as 180cm) but is also flat and unobstructed. The rest of the rear floor 7 in front of the rear passenger seats is also flat and unobstructed. This make access into and movement across the rear floor very easy for passengers; it makes cleaning fast and efficient.

Because the rear 5 of the front passenger seat is horizontal, it is fast and easy for the driver to place a food delivery bag there; a special belt or attachment (not shown) is part of the rear 5 of the front passenger seat and enables the bag to be secured. For a delivery driver working to deliver food, it is easier and faster to just open the driver door, and place the food delivery bag on the rear 5 of the front passenger seat when sitting down; easier and faster than placing the delivery bag in the car boot, or placing it on upholstered seats, and risking staining those seats if there is a food spillage.

The large flat and unobstructed rear floor area 7 also makes it easy to securely carry boxes and packages, as shown in Figure 5, where two large delivery boxes 30 are placed behind the front passenger seat 5. The seat base 8 of one of the rear passenger seats is shown lifted up to increase the available floor space; the floor underneath this seat base 8 is also a continuation of the flat and unobstructed floor area 7. Internal straps (not shown) are provided that secure to attachment points (not shown) in the passenger cabin (strap attachment points are normally only found in the boot of a vehicle).

Figure 6 provide a perspective view of the front driver seat 1 and the front passenger seat 2, omitting all upholstery and showing just the internal rigid structures. The frame structure for the back 9 and the base 8 of the front passenger seat are shown. The rails 10 on which the passenger seat moves are shown; these are far longer than in a conventional vehicle and enable the front passenger seat to move forward far further than in a conventional vehicle. The hinged system 11 for raising and lowering the front passenger seat 2 is also shown; at its lowest, the seat base 8 is virtually flush with the floor; contrast this with the driver’s seat 1, which has more limited vertical movement and rests on a pair of rigid supports 31 that in turn ride along the much shorter rails under the driver’s seat 1.

As noted earlier, the front passenger seat 2 is stowable under the dashboard 3 in order to provide additional rear legroom and space for cargo. Figure 7 is a side view of the front passenger seat showing how it starts in a normal seating position (A); in (B), the back of the seat is tilted fully forwards; in (C), the base of the seat, mounted on a hinged system, is fully lowered or collapsed so that the seat is as low as possible and in (D), the seat is moved as far forward as possible into a stowed position. Note that in a conventional car, the seat rails are not usually mounted flush with the floor, but on risers; the hinged system used to raise and lower a seat therefore needs only to provide limited travel. In the Arrival Car, because the rails are flush with the cabin floor, the hinged system used to raise and lower a seat needs significantly more travel, but when the seat is at its lowest position, it is much closer to the cabin floor than in a conventional vehicle; this in turn makes it feasible to move the seat far further forwards than is normally possible, if the dashboard is designed with a void or space to receive the top (e.g. integrated headrest) of the seat. The entire sequence can be fully automated where the seat is motorised: the driver need only touch an icon on the HMI (or speak the instruction) for the entire sequence to be carried out. A load sensor in the seat base prevents this sequence if there is any load on the seat, to ensure safety.

Figure 8 shows the front passenger seat in a fully stowed position. As noted earlier, to stow the seat, the back 9 of the seat is folded fully forwards, and then the base 12 of the seat is moved forward along rails 10, so that the stowed seat is positioned under the dashboard 3. Note that the base 12 of the seat sits very close to the floor, typically with the lowest edge of the base 12 no more than 0.5cm from the cabin floor; this is significantly lower than in many conventional passenger vehicles. Note also that the shape of the lower surface of the 3 of the dashboard creates a larger void into which the headrest 13 can move.

Figure 9 is a cross section showing how the front passenger seat is mounted on rails 10 that allow the seats to be moved forwards and backwards. The base 12 of the seat includes a hinged system 11 (not shown) that can raise and lower the seat; this hinged system 11 is mounted on a pair of runners 14 that each slide along their respective fixed rail 10. The rails 10 are integrated into the body structure; they are fixed directly into the extruded aluminium side chassis sections 15. This allows a flush floor to be provided; there is also a very strong attachment between the chair 2 and the vehicle chassis 15.

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail of Figure 9, showing the rail cover 16 that sits over the rails 10; the cabin carpet or other material (not shown) is laid in the region 17, and the top of the rail cover 16 is then substantially flush (or very slightly raised, e.g. by less than 0.5cm) with this material, giving a substantially flush and flat floor up to the fixed rails 10.

To recap, the front passenger seat 2 can be moved between a stowed position in which the headrest lies under the dashboard 3, and a normal seating position. Being able to move the front passenger seat 2 so far forwards provides additional legroom and space for cargo. Cargo stored behind the front passenger space when the seat is stowed can be secured in place with an attachment. Figure 11 shows the back of the rear passenger seats; the seat bases are hinged at hinge 21 and can each pivot upwards for greater storage, as shown in Figure 5. So the rear seating can be raised to provide additional cargo space. The rear seating is provided in a number of parts, allowing each part to independently be moved between a stowed position and a seating position.

The Arrival Car accommodates up to four passengers, plus a child in the rear centre seat, with two carry on-sized luggage bags and two hold-sized bags, making the vehicle particularly suitable for airport trips.

Distinctive features relating to interior seating include:

• The front passenger seat is stowable under the dashboard in order to provide additional legroom and space for cargo.

• Cargo stored in the front passenger space when the seat is stowed can be secured in place with attachment(s).

• Integrated seat rails in the body structure provide a flush floor.

Driver Partition

Conventional passenger cars do not protect drivers with a physical barrier; some passengers may also feel vulnerable in a stranger's car. The Arrival Car includes, see Figure 12, a removable, clear partition 18, 20 around the driver seat that makes the whole trip safer for both parties. Furthermore, the partition may limit the spread of viral diseases. The partition screen is provided around the back and one side of the driver seat. This provides protection to the vehicle occupants by keeping the driver and passengers isolated from one another, and prevents the driver being distracted while driving. The partition screen is removable, which allows the vehicle to be used both as a private car and as a ride-hail vehicle. The partition allows communication between the driver and passengers even when in use. The partition is attached by fixtures so that it does not vibrate during driving. The partition screen is supported by a vertical pole 19 and a side panel 18 and a rear partition 20. The entire partition 18, 19, and 20 can be readily removed by lifting pole 19 from its socket. The vehicle is supplemented with a panic alarm which is connected to an instant response system and a camera system. In Figure 13, the driver seat has been pushed back and reclined, with the rear partition screen 20 hinged towards the rear row of seats to enable the driver seat to be tilted backwards so the driver can rest.

Distinctive features relating to the driver partition of the vehicle interior include:

• A hinged partition screen that can be placed around the driver seat to provide protection and privacy.

• The partition screen is fully and easily removable and configurable to the driver, allowing the vehicle to be used both as a private car, and as a ride-hail vehicle.

Rapid reconfiguration

Arrival Car seating can be easily and quickly rearranged on-the-go to be able to fit different types of passengers, luggage needs and car purposes (non ride-hailing, taxi, personal use). Imagine a situation in which the rider is carrying 3 big suitcases. The driver is able to rearrange and fold the seats in less than 2 minutes to easily load/secure the luggage. When the driver is no longer working, they can quickly switch from a ride hail to a personal setup, removing the partition.

Passengers often struggle to easily load/unload or secure bulky luggage items. Drivers often use the car for other purposes that require different car configurations (family car, shopping). There is no one-size fits all design for a ride-hail vehicle. The Arrival Car can be adapted quickly to different passenger or driver specifications to ensure that the vehicle is back on the road quickly, and passengers and their items are safe and secure. A modular approach to vehicle design means that a vehicle interior is designed that can be reconfigured when in service, and also a design that can easily be retrofitted for alternate uses without any major impact on the rest of the vehicle.

As an example, consider a passenger who has booked a vehicle via a ride hailing app. The passenger requests a journey to the airport for their annual family getaway. Via the app, they make the driver aware that they are a family of three with one baby in a baby seat and three large pieces of luggage to accommodate. The driver is finishing taking a single passenger from home to work and accepts this new job. When the driver has stopped, they see a notification recommending a new interior layout based on the new job - in particular arranging the front passenger seat so that it is fully forward and present a flat rear surface onto which a baby seat can be secured. The driver moves (manually or automatically) the seats and the notification disappears from the screen. The driver makes their way to the pickup location. The passenger receives a notification to let them know that the vehicle is en route, and that it will automatically unlock and open as they approach the vehicle. The passenger walks outside, and as they near the vehicle, the doors open automatically using power assisted door openers, and with the luggage space being indicated to the passenger. When the vehicle determines that all of the passengers are seated, and the baby seat securely fixed to the rear of the now fully stowed front passenger seat, and the doors are closed, a notification is provided to the driver that the journey to the airport is to begin.

Human machine interface (HMI)

The Arrival Car includes a human machine interface (HMI) system that is not only customised to driver and customer specifications, as well as being dynamic to accommodate environmental conditions, but also integrates the ride hailing, taxi, food delivery etc application that the driver would otherwise access using a separate smartphone. The HMI is the primary vehicle interface for the driver and includes a large touch screen that provides information to the customer, as well as supporting the driver during the journey.

The HMI is configured to be installed with selected ride hailing software, thus integrating the vehicle with the ride hail operator app. Passengers can also configure the vehicle environment (lighting, music, temperature, climate, seating preferences) via an app. Software implemented by the HMI is customised to the vehicle variant, with the functions of virtual buttons/icons being selected based on functionality provided by the vehicle variant. The placing of the virtual buttons/icons of the HMI is customised to the vehicle variant, taking account of the side of the driver depending on whether the vehicle is LHD or RHD.

HMI Touch Screen

The HMI screen is located in the central console; the screen is located centrally to allow for as simple as possible RHD / LHD configurability. All of the controls and configuration settings for the vehicle are performed via the HMI screen (AC, wing mirror adjustments, sound controls, Bluetooth etc.). Physical buttons are minimised in the vehicle to provide a clean and simple interior experience and to allow flexible upgrade and configurability. Row 2 HVAC works independently from driver and controllable through a passenger app, allowing for pre conditioning.

The HMI is configured to integrate with the user interface of the ride hailing platform. The HMI provides information to the driver, such as a map showing the route to be taken by the driver. The HMI is configured to also receive instructions from a smartphone app. This allows the vehicle environment to be selected by all occupants of the vehicle, including the front passenger, and even passengers who are located in the back row of seats. Thus, all vehicle occupants can customise the vehicle environment such as by selecting settings for sound, air conditioning and lighting. The dashboard allows for the driver’s device (phone) to dock, and charge whilst docked. This is achieved by a phone mount being provided on the vehicle dashboard, which provides the driver with charge for their phone. USB-C ports are available for both driver and passengers to charge devices, in a cartridge that can be replaced/upgraded. Wireless inductive charging is available for both passengers and drivers to charge devices, with cartridge to allow upgrade.

Operators are provided the opportunity to develop their app to integrate with the HMI system and screen. The steering wheel provides one or more buttons enabled for operator app development (e.g., to accept a trip request). Operators can leverage the screen to show safety information at key points in the trip - such as the driver photo when the passenger enters the vehicle.

Blind spot alerts indicate to the driver if there are vehicles/pedestrians in the blind spot. The Car provides a visual signal to passengers who are looking to find their vehicle, such as interior lighting signalling to passengers that this is their ride hail vehicle when a request has been made and they are looking for their car. Ensuring riders can find the right vehicle when drivers are picking them up means that drivers can start their trip and begin earning money as quickly as possible.

Control in one place

The Arrival Car is configured to reduce cognitive load experienced by the driver by centralising vehicle controls and also service controls (e.g. relating to the ride hailing, taxi, or food delivery app) on one large, high definition automotive screen. This allows them to concentrate on driving and when they do need to look briefly away from the road, it is just to the large, built- in high resolution touch screen and not to some smartphone temporarily mounted to the windscreen. When away from the vehicle, a mobile app can control vehicle functions. As noted above, the Arrival Car has an HMI that allows a ride hailing etc operator etc to integrate their app into the dashboard of the vehicle. This allows the vehicle to interact with the ride hailing etc service displayed on the HMI screen and to automatically re-configure itself depending on data from the ride-hailing app. So the Arrival Car directly integrates third party services.

A rich HMI screen allows all controls to live in one single place, together with over-the-air updates which future-proof the software. Drivers normally use multiple phones and apps, as they often use different interfaces. Having everything in one place limits distractions on the road and saves drivers from having to look at an additional device (e.g. a smartphone). A new HMI has been designed that can scale across all vehicles; as a consequence, this means that the time taken to get a working HMI into a vehicle is relatively low. The HMI is designed to work with 3rd party ride hailing apps, taxi apps, and food delivery apps.

As an example of how the Arrival Car is configured, consider a driver entering the vehicle and who signs into the ride hailing app on the HMI screen. They accept their first job on the HMI screen when it appears as a notification in the stack. They see a service message from the ride hailing operator making them aware of some new policies. They flick through and press accept to show that they have read them. While driving, the driver can control the climate control using the centre screen. Throughout the course of the day they use the app shown on the HMI touch screen to accept jobs, refuse jobs, and give passenger feedback. When doing complex manoeuvres such as reversing and parallel parking, the screens shows the 360 camera footage. The driver signs off from the ride hailing app when not working, and takes a personal call using the HMI screen at lunch.

Red Carpet Entry

Currently, the ride-hailing market is dominated by similar cars. Passengers identify their vehicle by looking at registration plates, or asking the driver during a phone call to ensure that they have identified the correct car. As a consequence, this results in time being lost, and introduces friction into the passenger experience. Current ride-hailing cars do not have any verification or security features; anyone can enter when the car is unlocked and no-one can enter when the car is locked. Because of the HMI and ride-hailing app integration, the Arrival Car is configured to facilitate passengers finding, approaching and entering the car in a secure, modern and elegant way. When the vehicle is at the pick-up or drop-off location, the integration between the HMI system and the ride-hailing app enables the passenger to be guided by an automatically lit, dynamic external light on the vehicle. The vehicle lighting automatically extending from the vehicle acts as a “digital red carpet” for the passengers, when they are are entering or exiting the vehicle. A smart door then seamlessly and automatically opens for the authorised rider, which can be achieved using contactless / proximity verification. This prevents unauthorised entry. So when the vehicle picks up a rider in an area that is busy with other cars and riders, external lights can illuminate the pavement. A kerb-side screen says whose ride it is, by providing the passenger’s name or code name (for customer privacy), or a unique graphic. Verification is via Face ID or contactless key in the passenger’s phone (NFC, QR Code). Lighting in the driver cabin and passenger area illuminates the interior of the vehicle.

Computer Vision

The Arrival Car has been designed to watch out for everyone (riders, pedestrians, drivers) in its proximity. It is configured to provide information to other road users via contextual smart signage; the vehicle includes lights or screens that can signal information; because the vehicle HMI is integrated with the ride hailing etc app, it can automatically react to the location and context of the vehicle: for example, the vehicle knows when it is close to a passenger pick-up point since the ride-hailing app has shared the pick-up location via the HMI with the vehicle; the vehicle understands the context of its current location and can take automatic action that is relevant and helpful to the driver or passenger. For example, on pick-up and drop off, external screens alert other road users of the vehicle's status, asking for caution and patience. On top of the ease of finding the vehicle and the time saved, it also ensures the safety of both the driver and the rider, preventing making contact between unmatched parties or a potential collision.

Imagine a situation in which a rider has reached their destination is about to get out of the vehicle. An approaching cyclist is detected, and so screens warn the passenger inside the car to wait and not exit. External screens meanwhile warn other road users, the cyclist included, that the vehicle is "pulled over" and doing a "drop off", so that the other road users remain cautious. In this way, the vehicle lighting serves as a warning to pedestrians and cyclists. Intelligent internal vehicle lighting assists the passengers from leaving behind items in vehicle. Passengers can configure row 2 lighting independently with a passenger app. The vehicle is designed to prevent passengers opening their doors into traffic, which prevents collisions with other road users, such as cyclists.

Immersive Modes

The Arrival Car implements vehicle modes that adapt and react to different contexts, for both driver and passenger, providing immersive and mindful use of light and sound with innovative materials, sound cancellation, blinds, and air filtration. Current ride-hailing cars are not designed around passenger journeys and passenger preferences; the integration of the HIM system with the ride hailing app makes this possible. For example, tired passengers may want peace: "Serenity” mode, input by the passenger into their ride hailing app or the driver into the HMI, automatically lowers blinds, dims lights and silences the interior. Imagine that the car and rider will soon reach the destination. The interior lights, audio & screen automatically alert the passenger to get ready. The provision of “Modes” for both driver and passenger create a more pleasant, customised experience.

Passengers like to be able to adapt the environment. By linking vehicle data to service data we can potentially change vehicle settings such as lighting, sound, windows, door locks etc based on the current job. By linking to passenger GPS, this allows the customer to be welcomed as they approach the vehicle. Imagine a situation in which a passenger has booked a taxi to take them home after a night out. The centre of town is busy, so they walk five minutes away to make it easier to find their vehicle. The passenger receives a notification that the car is nearly there. They see the vehicle approaching with an indicator on the front to show that it's their car. As the car gets close and before it's stopped, the interior lights light up so that the passenger can see that it is an empty vehicle. They can also see the driver's face. The car pulls over and some external lights light up the area around the vehicle on the street side. External cameras check the identity of the passenger and the doors open automatically. As the car pulls away, the lights remain on. Slowly they dim down to a low level as the passenger settles into their ride. The passenger falls asleep. As they approach their destination, the lights slowly fade up in a warm white, waking the passenger up gently. Before they leave, the lights are bright enough for them to see if they've left anything behind.

Safety bubble

Imagine a situation in which a passenger is ordering a taxi in an area they do not know. They book the vehicle via their phone. When booking, the passenger can be informed by the app of any extra safety features included in the vehicle. The passenger takes note of the registration number and driver photo while they are waiting for the vehicle to arrive. The Arrival Car pulls up to the pick-up location. The external cameras are lit up so the passenger can see that they are active and monitoring as they enter the vehicle. The doors close, lock, and the passenger is safe inside the car. The HMI screen shows the camera feeds from around the vehicle, as well as from the driver facing camera. The interior cameras are lit and visible. The car pulls away and the camera feeds disappear. The user uses the app to view the camera feeds in real time as they move through the city. They reach the destination, and as they approach the screen again changes to show the camera feeds around the vehicle. Once the passenger feels safe, they press a button on the door to open them. The street is lit up by the vehicle as they get out. The passenger walks away and the doors close, and the driver goes to their next job.

Flexible driver cabin: a driver’s office

Ride hailing drivers use their vehicles for working, resting, as well as private use and socialising. The Arrival Car cabin area and seating allows a driver to rest, sleep, eat and relax. When taking a break, the driver selects a "break mode" in the HMI. By way of example, consider a ride hailing driver who has been working since 7am and is ready to take a break. They would usually drive home to rest for an hour. But with the Arrival Car, they pull out a table and eat their lunch in the car, and then reconfigure the interior and have a sleep for an hour before starting work again. Downtime and brakes are an integral part of a driver's day but consumer cars are not designed for 14 hour shifts. The Arrival Car provides the best lunchtime/office space too. Not relying on legacy off-the shelf components and car layout makes it possible to design a driver-centric, more ergonomic solution for people who use their car for 14 hours straight. The driver can choose whether they want to be productive (making use of a foldable table and work lights) or relax (making use of a reclined seat and dimmed lights).

Distinctive features relating to the human machine interface include:

• A centre-mounted HMI screen integrates with third party ride hailing, taxi and food delivery apps, enabling the screen to show driver photo, trip information etc. and for the driver to interact with these apps entirely through the HMI display, and not a separate smartphone mounted on the windscreen. This deep integration between app and the vehicle HMI enables automatic control of vehicle systems (e.g. lights, signage, music, environment, seating) through data (e.g. location, context) sent by the ride hailing etc app to the HMI.

• Automatic intelligent lighting will assist passengers leaving the vehicle to help ensure that they do not leave items behind in the vehicle.

• Configurable interior lighting to automatically signal to passengers that this is their ride hail vehicle when a request has been made and they are looking for their car.

• Interior lighting automatically responds to the passenger’ s app to identify the vehicle - e.g. specific coloured vehicle lights, blinking of vehicle lights that synchronise with a signal, e.g. flashing icon, the on the passenger’s app).

• Automatic light displays on the vehicle exterior (b-pillar, rear light bar) based on the vehicle status, based on data from the ride-hailing etc app .

• Automatic light projection from the vehicle to the pavement (a ‘digital red carpet’; and a warning to pedestrians and cyclists).

• The centre-mounted screen provides configuration between left- and right-hand drive versions of the vehicle.

• The passenger will be able to configure their experience, including by setting the sound, HVAC and lighting independently via a smartphone app.

• Passenger defined ‘modes’ (e.g. input by the passenger on their ride-hailing app) define passenger preferences for the vehicle and automatically re-configure the vehicle to those preferences (such as lighting, music, environment, seating) and can also be used to communicate preferred driving style to the driver (e.g. ultra-safe driving style, or ‘I’m in a hurry’ driving style).

Data and telematics

The Arrival Car is connected to a cloud service. This allows ride hail operators and other application providers to track and monitor the vehicle. Driving information is captured to monitor and improve performance. The vehicle is a connected device with the ability to track and measure numerous performance measures, including driving style and safety. This can be a differentiator by systematically providing feedback and improvement suggestions to drivers.

Operators and drivers are given the opportunity to collect and use driver data (harsh braking, turning, pedal ‘pumping’) etc. in order to provide feedback to drivers. Operators are offered the ability to utilise the central screen for safety-related information, such as driver details and destination. Operators are provided the opportunity to use GPS data to monitor vehicle location at all times. The vehicle includes front and rear exterior cameras, so that the external environment of the vehicle is monitored. The vehicle includes rear-facing internal cameras, so that the passengers are monitored. The Arrival Car is designed to accommodate the demands both of the operators, drivers and passengers. If the vehicle is attractive to drivers, it will be recommended by operators.

Captures ride data

The Arrival Car is configured to monitor the way it is being driven, to be able to convey the short term and long term impact of the driving style to the driver. This data is also useful to inform an operator in terms of the way that a vehicle is being used to provide their service to customers. A ride hailing driver may accelerate and brake vigorously during the day: The HMI warns the driver that their driving is having a negative impact on the range for the day, and that they will need to charge earlier than expected. Hence, the technology is configured to help the driver to improve their performance and economy. Poor driving can not only impact the perception of a ride hailing operator, but can create unnecessary expense for a driver in terms of replacing parts, and taking vehicles off the road for repairs. Passengers can comment on erratic or uncomfortable driving which makes their journey unpleasant or can lead to car sickness; the Arrival Car minimises this risk.

Imagine a situation in which the driver's driving pattern is very dynamic and the HMI informs them that the energy use is higher than optimal, affecting the range of the vehicle. The HMI suggests a fix: capping acceleration or top speed. The HMI suggests avoiding certain roads too, as it has learnt from capturing previous routes' data where notorious potholes are. The driver sees red-flagged road segments in the HMI's map, together with directions to bypass them.

Synchronicity between operator, app and vehicle

The Arrival Car integrates with a driver app (or vehicle functions shared with an operator's app) that allows a ride hailing driver to work smarter and more efficiently. This bridges the gap between the vehicle itself and operator's service. By way of example, consider a driver who is taking a lunch break at a fast food restaurant and has left their vehicle in the carpark. They accept a new job on their phone while they are sat having lunch, and the car starts preparing itself for the next passenger, setting to their temperature and lighting setup. Drivers do not like to be away from their smartphones, which are normally in the front of the vehicle. As they only have about 15 seconds to accept a ride, there is a demand for a solution that facilitates the driver reacting to a potential new job quickly in any circumstance. Technology is available that provides a link between the vehicle and an app. This allows the operator to integrate the vehicle into their existing service, and allows the ride hailing driver to have control of their vehicle without switching between apps. Consider a situation in which a driver links their ride hailing app to their vehicle, allowing it to control various vehicle functions. Preparing for work, the driver accepts a job (with one tap/click on the HMI) and sees a notification to show that they have adequate charge to collect the passenger and take them to their destination. All of this information is presented to the driver within the ride hailing app. The driver gets into the car, goes to the destination, and picks up the passenger. Later on, they near the end of their day. They decide to stop work, and press a button on the ride hailing app to show that they are no longer working. The vehicle automatically switches into personal mode, applying settings that the driver has defined for their own personal vehicle.

Distinctive features relating to the data and telematics include:

• The vehicle will provide connectivity to the cloud via GPS to allow ride hail operators to track and monitor the vehicle whilst used for ride hailing.

• Driving information is captured to monitor and improve performance on areas such as harsh braking, turning etc.

Doors

Rear passenger sliding or pivot hinge doors are provided on both sides of the vehicle, which integrate with computer vision systems designed to prevent accidental opening when there is approaching traffic or cyclists. Lighting is used to indicate the aperture of the door.

Distinctive features relating to the doors include:

• Rear passenger doors are pivot hinged and provide a large aperture with a wide opening to allow cargo and passengers easier ingress and egress.

• Blind spot alerts inform passengers before opening the door if there are vehicles or pedestrians in the blind spot.

Vehicle Cleaning All materials of the Arrival Car interior are wipe down and easy to disinfect. The vehicle seats are protected by interior covers, which can be removed and cleaned. The seats and vehicle floor are manufactured from materials that are conveniently washed with a jet washer and ordinary household products, once the interior covers have been removed. The vehicle interior has minimal crevices and creases that can capture dust and debris. The vehicle interior is designed to be sanitised and cleaned, much more quickly and thoroughly than for a conventional car. Cleaning is achieved using basic cleaning apparatus, such as machine-washable seat covers being provided, which can be replaced with spares that are stored in the car. Automated processes are provided to simplify cleaning of the vehicle.

Current ride hailing vehicles are not designed to be cleaned regularly and efficiently. However, drivers typically clean their cars multiple times a day which takes time off the road, or in extreme situations can take them off the road for the rest of their shift. Drivers are mostly comfortable wiping down seats and brushing floors. The Arrival Car has been designed to allow the driver to perform a deep clean of a vehicle in a minimum amount of time. For example, the vehicle is designed to accommodate a situation such as a driver dropping off a passenger carrying a house plant, who has left soil in the vehicle. The driver removes seat pads and floor panels, so that the driver can sweep and sanitise the interior of the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle is back on the road in minutes. An integrated UV light sanitises the key touched area, such as handles.

Imagine the situation in which a driver is just about to finish a drop off at night and knows they need to clean their vehicle when they have reached the destination. The driver pulls over to a safe spot, puts the vehicle into park, and enables cleaning mode via the HMI. The lights come on at full brightness at blue white, to enable the best visibility in the cabin area. The wheel and HMI screens fold out of the way to allow full access to the dash crevices, and the seats fold back far enough to allow access into all of the nooks of the cabin. With a simple antibacterial cleaner and a household cloth, they spray and wipe over the surfaces, clearing out dust and debris. They remove the seat coverings in the rear of the vehicle, fold them up in the storage area, and jet wash the rear of the vehicle. They press a button on the HMI and close the door, and the vehicle automatically regulates the temperature to dry the vehicle as quickly as possible.

Distinctive features relating to cleaning of the vehicle interior include: • Interior rear seating that is robust enough to be cleaned with a pressure washer.

• A vehicle interior that minimises all crevices and creases in order to prevent dirt and debris build up.

• Rear passenger seating can be easily cleaned, with covers that can be removed and cleaned in washing machine.

• Wipe-down, easily cleaned and easily disinfected passenger seating that provides a luxurious feeling in a vehicle that is frequently used by members of the public.

Platform/U nderbody

The Arrival Car platform consists of frame with a pair of longitudinal chassis members 25; the frame that is designed for maximum modularity, maximum platform flexibility and robotic manufacturing in an Arrival Microfactory. The chassis is formed, for example, from extruded aluminium sections. The chassis platform consists of front and rear cradles with integrated powertrain and suspension modules allowing for maximum variation and robotic assembly. The cradles marry into aluminium extrusion longitudinal chassis members, cut to the desired wheelbase.

Figure 14 provides a plan view of the vehicle platform. Features of the platform (shared with other Arrival vehicles) include a fixed front crash structure 22 and a fixed rear crash structure 23, each fitting into a longitudinal chassis member 25. Similarly, skateboards of different vehicle variants share the same thermal architecture, front suspension, rear suspension, and drive unit. Some features of the platform are customised to the specific vehicle variant, including the battery pack, the fore/aft structure, and the side impact protection. The vehicle shown in Figure 14 has a grid of ten high voltage battery modules 24 forming one layer of batteries, and another grid of ten high voltage battery modules 24 sitting over these modules. Figure 15 provides a perspective view of an example vehicle platform.

It is important to protect the battery pack from front and rear collisions. This is achieved by proving parallel longitudinal load paths from the front to the rear of the vehicle via a longitudinal chassis members 25. The battery pack 24 is held in place by rods (not shown) that extend from the front crash structure 22 to the rear crash structure 23. The rods allow a longitudinal crash load to be transferred through the vehicle. As a consequence, the force from a front or rear collision is transferred through the vehicle, preventing damage to the batteries. It is important to protect the battery pack from side collisions. This is achieved by proving an energy absorbing sill 26 around the platform that absorbs the impact of any collision. The sill 26 is provided on each side of the vehicle, to absorb a collision from either side. Furthermore, the sills 26 on either side of the vehicle are connected to one another by reinforcements which serve to transfer force through the vehicle.

In the Arrival Car, the amount of material used in the skateboard is minimised, which reduces the weight of the vehicle, and also reduces the cost of the materials. Gaps are provided in the sills 26, as shown in Figure 16, to help achieve this.

The non-continuous inner sill profile leads to an approximate 65% weight reduction, compared to if the sill extended for the full length of the vehicle. As a further example, the rear suspension has hardpoints that are formed as a single extrusion. Thus, the amount of material forming the vehicle is reduced as much as possible.

The battery pack supports a selected number of batteries. The skateboard design accommodates different types of battery packs, such as high voltage battery modules (HVBMs) and capacitive defined length (CDL) batteries. The batteries are arranged as a single deck of batteries that are in thermal communication with a cooling plate. As an alternative, a number of vertical stacks of batteries are provided. To provide cooling of each vertical stack of batteries, each stack of batteries has a corresponding cooling plate. For the case of the batteries being arranged in a double deck stack, it is found that cooling is conveniently provided by arranging the cooling plate in between each of the stacks.

In the case of batteries being arranged in a double stack, there is a demand to avoid turning the battery pack over. This is achieved by the upper stack of batteries being attached to the cooling plate from above, and the lower stack of batteries being attached to the cooling plate from below. Releasable fixtures are provided which attach the batteries to the cooling plate. Maintenance of the double stack of batteries can be performed from above and from below while the battery pack continues to be housed by the platform, or alternatively, maintenance is performed by removing the whole battery pack from the platform. As standard, the wheels are 16 inches, with 18 inch wheels offered as an option. The vehicle has physical mirrors or e-mirrors. The vehicle steering is designed to a low wall-to-wall turning circle that is at least equivalent to a London Taxi (i.e., 8450mm or lower).

The Arrival Car is designed, in particular, with a view to the vehicle being primarily city- driven. The vehicle can accelerate to 30kph in less than 5s. The vehicle can accelerate to lOOkph in less than 14s. The vehicle is charged via a combined charging system (CCS) interface. The vehicle is capable of charging from 10 to 80% state of charge (SOC) in fewer than 30 minutes. The vehicle has a top speed of at least 90 mph.

Distinctive features of the vehicle platform include:

• A non-continuous inner sill profile in the underbody that leads to an approximate 65% sill weight reduction.

• Parallel longitudinal load paths that provide the ability to transfer longitudinal crash load.

• The rear suspension hardpoints are all captured in a single extrusion.

• Double stack battery configuration enabling parallel longitudinal load paths and improved side crash protection in the underbody.

• The vehicle steering is designed to have a low wall-to-wall turning circle (e.g., 8.5m or lower).

Manufacture and Assembly

Arrival’s Microfactory and modular approach allows a consistent platform architecture to be coupled with a customised upper body design. The top hat of the vehicle is designed that is bespoke to customer specifications. Microfactories and Robofacturing mean that each vehicle is configured as it comes off the production line for a customer, meaning that the moment they get into it, it feels like their vehicle.

Arrival Car Platform

Figure 17 shows the vehicle frame. Figure 18 shows the manufacturing steps that allow autonomous manufacture by robots of this frame. Front Axle

Figure 19 shows the front axle; Figure 20 shows the manufacturing steps that allow autonomous manufacture by robots of the front axle.

Rear Axle

Figure 21 shows the rear axle, and Figure 22 shows the manufacturing steps that allow autonomous manufacture by robots of the rear axle.

So the Arrival Car is designed for robotic assembly, as shown in Figures 18 and 20. The components of the vehicle are designed for an installation path that is optimised for robotic handling, installation and assembly, such as autonomous robotic handling, installation or assembly.

Distinctive features relating to the manufacture and assembly include:

• The vehicle is designed such that it can be manufactured fully by robotic assembly.

Customisation of the vehicle

The Arrival Car is formed using a skateboard platform which supports a top hat that is specific to ride-hailing. A number of vehicle variants are available that are designed according to specific customer demands. A bespoke skateboard platform is provided, which allows customisation of the top hat. To reduce costs, many of the vehicle components are shared between different vehicle variants. For example, different vehicle variants share drive units, battery modules, and composite panels.

A number of solutions are provided to ensure that the Arrival Car offers transparent pricing, perpetual upgrade, and best on-demand services. These solutions allow Arrival Cars to be designed within a quick timeframe that are customised to driver and passenger specifications. Hardware and software solutions result in a vehicle that is user friendly and functional. The Arrival Car includes and builds upon the innovations of Arrival’s other commercial vehicles, such as the Arrival Bus and the Arrival Van.

Online Configurator Arrival recognises that vehicle choice is an important decision. An online configurator for the Arrival Car is provided that allows users to build their own vehicle and have complete transparency over costs and total cost of ownership, related to their own situation. The driver uploads data (or connects their ride hailing service) and configures their vehicle. The driver is presented with an overall cost, as well as estimated costs relating to the distance they drive, time they drive, and estimated residual value based on the miles they drive. The customer can personalise their car, and see upfront costs, the resale value, as well as the cost and availability of spare parts. Manufacture in Microfactories allows localised variants to be produced, with a modular design that allows design variants to be easily accommodated for different uses.

Consider the situation in which a ride hailing driver is looking for a new vehicle to replace their current diesel vehicle. The driver decides to configure a vehicle that is customised to their selected specifications. The driver configures their ideal vehicle, adding insurance, tax and maintenance into the package. They click on a button that connects to a ride hailing service, and signs in with their credentials into the ride hailing app. They select data that is associated with their account, for example, over the last month. The driver is presented with an updated estimated price showing them their potential income when using the vehicle that they have designed, based on the usage they selected. They decide that the costs work, pay a small deposit, and are sent instructions to organise a virtual and in-person demo.

Up to 14 hours a day sat in a standard seat is bad for a driver's back. Most car seats do not have the adequate level of comfort. They are generic and never bespoke. Drivers often have to supplement them with an after-market cushion too. The Arrival Car driver seat is provided as a flexible, personalised platform, customised by body types (LI), made to-measure to the driver’s size in Microfactories (L2), or a bespoke mould of the driver’s back which can be 3D scanned with a smartphones (L3). When configuring the vehicle, the buyer/driver has an option to customise the seating. Consider, as an example, a driver deciding to go with the entry level non-customised seating option. After a few months' worth of working as a driver, they decide to upgrade to a personalised mould. They use a smartphone app and upload the data and make an order to trade in their existing driver seat. Estimated trade-in value is given. The new seat arrives and the delivery person picks up the old one.

Vehicle Homologation The homologous vehicle design accommodates both left hand drive (LHD) and right hand drive (RHD) configurations. Homologation is prioritised to the markets where there is increased demand, with a number of variants being designed for bespoke markets. Figure 3 shows a RHD vehicle, although a LHD vehicle is designed by swapping components on the driver side with components on the passenger side. The driver controls include the steering wheel together with actuators that are positioned within reach of the driver while they maintain their hands in position on the steering wheel. Within close reach are the central console and a mount for a phone.

Changing the RHD design to a LHD design is simplified by providing a centre-mounted touch screen for both variants. The touch screen is designed to integrate with third party ride hailing, taxi or food delivery operator software, which during use shows the driver identification and trip information (see below). Thus, a simple interior is provided with only one, centrally mounted, HMI screen that performs the vast majority of functions in the vehicle

One-tap vehicle demos

Virtual demos allow the customer to experience the Arrival Car, to make a decision from anywhere whether to purchase the vehicle. After configuring their vehicle online, a customer's specific iteration is experienced virtually, which is effortless and safe. The customer orders the demo vehicle, via a demonstration app. The customer can experience being in the vehicle as a passenger and as a driver, allowing them to experience the vehicle from both perspectives.

Traditional car demonstrations and test drives are underwhelming and time-consuming. In contrast, the virtual demonstration is personalised to the customer, giving them maximum insights while using the minimum of their time. Typically, the vehicle is used for both work and personal use, and the demonstration accommodates different uses of the vehicle that are envisaged. In a saturated market, allowing drivers to configure a vehicle to their specifications, and asses the results (in person or virtually) is a unique selling point. Thus, the customer saves time, and is introduced to the vehicle in a compelling way.

Working data is imported from the ride hailing app, into the configurator, which allows the total cost of ownership (TCO) to be calculated. The customer is presented with a comparison of the monthly costs and the monthly income, which allows savings to be determined. An estimate is provided of servicing and maintenance costs, based on the working data. The user interface of the demonstration app allows configurable elements to be confirmed, and matched with selectable configurations. An automated process is therefore provided, from the configuration of the demo, right through to manufacture. A human/customer centric approach is provided in which the demonstration is presented to the end user.

After paying a deposit, the customer's configuration is automatically generated and they are sent a link with a bespoke Augmented Reality (AR) demonstration of their own vehicle. They view the vehicle in real size using their AR device. They get in the vehicle and move the seats around inside, seeing hints and tips as they go. They view their customised vehicle next to their current vehicle to compare sizes. They can confirm the purchase directly from the AR app. They order a Demo Car in the app. The car arrives shortly, they switch with the drivers and test the vehicle. They see a personalised finance agreement to fill out to complete the purchase. They complete that and submit, and then see that their vehicle has been queued for production.

Pre-collection setup

Once the customer has bought their Arrival Cars vehicle, they are able to preconfigure their vehicle for when they collect it, setting up the human machine interface (HMI), climate, lighting and vehicle settings. The customer finishes the finance process and their order is confirmed. Using an app, they see an order status, an explanation of the pickup process, and start to change vehicle settings to their own.

Traditional car retail typically leaves a long period between confirming the purchase and collecting the new vehicle; little is done during this period to help the buyer learn about the vehicle. With the Arrival Car, this time is used productively. Imagine a situation in which a customer has approximately four weeks left until their Arrival Car is delivered. They open the Arrival Car app and decide to start to learn about their car in more detail. They start to program driving modes, radio stations, sign into digital services offered by third party providers, as well as setting their climate control to their preferred temperature. They go back into the AR app with their vehicle configuration and sign in with the account that they have with the ride hailing operator. A pre-defmed lighting scheme that is associated with the selected ride hailing operator is loaded into the vehicle. They see that a key has been pre-configured for them and is available in their app, and they see confirmation of where the vehicle will be delivered to, and the process for the day of delivery. Within the app too, they can see confirmation of their payment schedule. Smart servicing and hire cars

The Arrival Car is configured to update the driver about the overall condition of the vehicle, and suggest maintenance and servicing that is expected to be performed. On-demand mobile service is available for tasks that don’t rely on using a heavyweight workshop or tools, being ordered effortlessly via an app.

If maintenance is to be performed, an HMI screen in the vehicle warns the driver. The driver confirms the time in the HMI or app. The user selects a courtesy vehicle, which is configured to correspond to the user’s existing vehicle, and if possible, having an identical configuration. For smaller fixes, the driver orders an on-demand servicing car, which arrives the same day.

Smart servicing is provided that is convenient to the driver, and reducing the amount of time that they are off the road. There is a demand to reduce time and expense that is taken during part replacement and servicing. As a consequence, the driver has a potential loss of income if something needs to be professionally replaced. Thus, there is a demand to minimise downtime. Ride hail fleets look for resale value when considering buying a new car. If vehicles could be easily upgraded rather than replaced, it would save on the cost of buying a new one.

The HMI is configured to alert the driver to components that are to receive maintenance, for example to the suspension due to wear, and to the tyres due to low pressure. The HMI warns that the suspension wear may be premature and a result of driving pattern and poor road quality, suggesting ways to alleviate it in future. The driver confirms servicing for the next month in the HMI, with the driver being given assurance that an identical replacement car provided. Upon inspecting the tyres, the driver discovers that 2 tyres have been punctured. The driver orders the mobile servicing vehicle via the HMI or via the app, and is given the estimated time when the vehicle will have been fixed. The servicing vehicle arrives and the faulty wheels are replaced swiftly.

Perpetual upgrade: on-demand parts

Confidence and trust in a vehicle manufacturer is enhanced by offering an on demand guarantee to provide spare parts. Ride-hailing cars are exposed to wear and tear that far exceeds that of a consumer car. For the best car's value, quality and longevity, a reliable parts supply chain is provided. The parts ecosystem creates an opportunity for after-market aesthetic / comfort upgrade. Automation, micro-factories and 3D printing all make it possible and economically viable for on demand parts to be produced. Commitment to longevity and customer support projects confidence and trust.

Imagine the situation in which a driver has owned a vehicle for four years, and driven nearly 40,000 miles as a ride hailing driver. As part of their usual routes, they regularly drive down residential streets with many speed bumps, which have a big impact on the vehicle. One day when they are stopped at some traffic lights, they receive a notification to show that the vehicle is predicting suspension replacement in three weeks based on the current usage. They press a button on the HMI and are shown some dates. The vehicle is immediately booked in for service by a qualified technician. They also select a courtesy car for the same date. On the day, they drive their vehicle to the location marked on their screen, which is a local depot. They drop the car off and use their phone to get access to a courtesy vehicle. When they get in, their settings are automatically imported, as if it was their own vehicle.

A vehicle marketplace

The Arrival Car is the foundation of a marketplace based on the concept that there is no such a thing as a "used car ", because all parts can be replaced resulting in a "new car". Buyers of new Arrival Cars can easily and quickly trade them back and recoup their costs, minus the depreciation in value of the vehicle due to usage and wear. A refurbished Arrival Car can be sold, providing a full warranty to second-hand buyers. New car buyers have confidence in purchasing the vehicle, because when ready, they can trade the vehicle back in. Second-hand car buyers receive the refurbished vehicle for a lower price (lower point of entry) but from a trusted source with full warranty.

The Arrival Car is hence cost effective, being easy to buy and re-sell, either new or used. The vehicle retains its value (for drivers) and projects a great image of the vehicle manufacturer as a reliable, sustainable, and high quality brand. The vehicle is associated with a trusted log of all components and when they were replaced. Many parts are new, meaning a product that was bought two or three years ago is indistinguishable from a new vehicle. When considering selling, the owner of the vehicle can digitally share the log with a prospective buyer, with full transparency being provided by using a standardised value calculator. When selling the vehicle back into the marketplace, an instant and accurate quote is given, based on the log.