Mullen Automotive continues to chart a rapid trajectory in the electric-vehicle market.
The Brea-based EV automaker launched production of its Mullen Three Class 3 truck this week at the company’s assembly plant in Tunica, Miss. The first customer deliveries are scheduled for this month and September.
With a range of 120 miles and a hauling capacity of 5,800 pounds, the vehicle was created for businesses that make short-haul deliveries, a Mullen representative said.
“Our team has been working seven days a week, day and night, getting this plant reconfigured and ready for Class 3 production,” company Chairman and CEO David Michery said in a statement. “We have achieved a significant milestone with the first trucks rolling off the line.”
Ramping up production
The company plans to gradually ramp up production of the Mullen Three through 2023, with a goal of producing 3,000 vehicles a year. As EV adoption rates increase, Mullen said it will add a second shift, increasing production capacity to 6,000 vehicles annually.
The Class 3 designation is used for larger vehicles that weigh between 10,000 and 14,000 pounds.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the number of EVs on the road jumped from about 22,000 in 2011 to more than 2 million in 2021. Sales are expected to continue rising based on environmental concerns, greater vehicle choice, improved battery capacity and cost savings.
The global market for commercial EVs is projected to reach more than 2 million units by 2028, according to Statistica, with a compound annual growth rate between 2020 and 2028 of around 41%.
Mullen said it has already received $79 million in purchase orders for 1,250 Mullen Threes from Randy Marion Automotive Group, and MGT Lease Co. The vehicle is priced starting at $68,500, although it qualifies for $7,500 in federal tax incentives, which lowers the price to $61,000.
In June, the company announced it also sold 22 electric cargo vans to the Randy Marion group, with the first shipments scheduled to begin that month from Mullen’s Mississippi plant.
As Mullen Three production increases, testing and production of the Mullen One EV cargo van will also take place at the 120,000-square-foot Tunica facility, the company said.
Mullen’s EV development portfolio included the Mullen Five EV Crossover, Mullen-GO Commercial Urban Delivery EV, Mullen Commercial Class 1-3 EVs and Bollinger Motors, which makes electric trucks and Class 4-6 commercial vehicles.
Mullen gained a controlling interest in Bollinger Motors last September and acquired bankrupt Electric Last Mile Solutions the following month in a $240 million all-cash purchase.
That acquisition included all of the Michigan-based company’s intellectual property, as well as all vehicles (finished and unfinished), parts, raw materials, tooling, machinery, supplies, computer hardware, data networks and software.
Mullen, which is on a city-to-city tour showcasing its vehicles, is not the only EV manufacturer in Southern California.
Other EV automakers include:
— Rivian Automotive, an Irvine-based maker of electric trucks, has produced hundreds of delivery vehicles for Amazon with plans to deliver 100,000 by 2025. It also makes all-electric consumer pickup trucks.
— VinFast, a Vietnamese maker of electric cars and SUVs, made a splash in July 2022, unveiling six California showrooms, including dealerships in Santa Monica and Commerce.
— Canoo, a Torrance-based startup, is producing its own “lifestyle” EV, with additional plans to produce commercial electric vehicles for rental and ride-sharing services.
— Karma Automotive, an Irvine-based electric and hybrid-electric luxury sedan maker with an assembly plant in Moreno Valley.
