Mullen Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) (“Mullen” or the “Company”), an emerging electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer, today announces the Company and Rapid Response Defense Systems (“RRDS”) have filed responses for final ruling and compliance by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) application for Mullen’s Class 1 EV cargo van.
RRDS Application Update
In March 2023, Mullen and RRDS announced a partnership with RRDS selecting Mullen as exclusive provider of Class 1 EV cargo vans. RRDS is one of the country’s leading small business federal contractors with a success rate of over 2,500 federal government delivery orders since 2014. On behalf of Mullen, RRDS filed the Ruling Request Application, which details the substantial transformation Mullen completed for the Class 1 EV cargo van to meet U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Environmental Protection Agency regulations, including the design, testing and validation of new safety systems including airbags, sensors and control modules, rearview camera, front bumper system, wiring harnesses and seating. By successfully completing the substantial transformative process, the Mullen ONE will be defined as a U.S.-made end product.
The filing highlights the Mullen ONE’s Class 1 EV cargo van assembly process, which is completed at its 120,000 square feet Tunica, Mississippi, production facility. The Tunica location includes approximately 24 assembly stations and a second line of 16 stations for the Mullen Three EV low cab forward program. The facility currently employs 103 individuals with Mullen Automotive employing approximately 400 individuals nationwide.
The filing further detailed Mullen’s global sourcing for the Mullen One EV cargo van, which includes supply contracts with multiple Tier One and Tier Two OEM suppliers from South Korea, Germany, Romania, China, Canada, and the U.S. Mullen’s supply chain continues to evolve with the addition of domestic suppliers and subcontractors to localize content as more EV components are added to the U.S. eco-system.
Mullen Automotive and RRDS will display the Mullen ONE EV cargo van and participate in an electric vehicle ride event at the upcoming Fed Fleet conference in Washington, D.C., during the week of Jan. 22, 2024.
“Upon a successful ruling, Mullen will have demonstrated the commitment it has made to growing the EV market in the U.S. Along with that I am proud to be able to say, ‘An American product, built in America by Americans,’” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive.