Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) (“Mullen” or the “Company”), an emerging electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer, announces today plans to begin EV battery pack production out of its high voltage battery R&D facility located in Monrovia, California.
Mullen is retrofitting its Monrovia facility to accommodate the production of EV battery packs destined for Mullen’s EV vehicle lineup, including the ONE EV Cargo Van, FIVE EV Crossover, and DragonFLY EV Sportscar programs. Mullen is undertaking this effort to reduce dependency on third-party suppliers and reduce the risk associated with material and supply shortages, which currently plague the automotive industry. By taking battery pack production in-house, Mullen will also lower costs and increase overall quality control in battery pack development.
Previously CODA Automotive utilized the Monrovia facility (CODA Energy) for battery pack research, development and production of its U.S. homologated EV sedan, sold in the U.S. from 2012-18. Mullen purchased the assets from CODA in 2014 and took over the Monrovia high voltage facility in 2017, renaming it Mullen Energy.
“Building our own battery packs makes sense as it reduces our reliance on third-party suppliers and lessens our risk of being subjected to the waves of supply and critical component shortages,” says David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. “The entire industry is struggling with supply chain issues and the more control we have in-house, the better off our vehicle programs will be. Our Monrovia facility is already established for high voltage applications so retrofitting it for our battery pack development makes good sense for our company and shareholders.”
On Nov. 5, 2021, Mullen began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Markets LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the new stock ticker symbol “MULN.” Since Mullen’s first quarter as a public company, starting in Q4 ‘21, the Company has debuted two versions of the Mullen FIVE show cars and announced the purchase of a vehicle manufacturing facility in Tunica, Mississippi. At the end of Q2 ‘22, Mullen reported over $65 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand for continued momentum and programs development.
Mullen recently announced a string of key partnerships with hofer powertrain, Comau, ARRK, Dürr, and DSA Systems for EV powertrain, engineering, manufacturing, vehicle production systems, and Over the Air (OTA) and vehicle system diagnostics, respectively. The Company expects these strategic developments to play a crucial role in bringing the EVs to market with the latest technology and in the least amount of time.
Mullen’s EV development portfolio includes the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover, the Mullen ONE EV Fleet Vans, and the DragonFLY Sports Car. The FIVE is built on an EV crossover skateboard platform that offers multiple powertrain configurations and trim levels in a svelte design that is “Strikingly DifferentTM” and exciting to experience in person. The Mullen FIVE was named “Top Zero Emission SUV” as part of the ZEVA® Awards at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November 2021, where it made its debut. The Company has recently filed over 120 patents in 24 countries related to the Mullen FIVE. The Mullen ONE, coming to market in Q2 2022, will be available in two classes of electric vans and will be designed, manufactured, and customized by Mullen at its Tunica, Mississippi, manufacturing facility. Learn more about Mullen’s EVs at www.MullenUSA.com.