Mullen is an electric vehicle startup based in California that has largely flown under the radar but has been making a lot of noise in recent months.
For example, the company revealed the Five crossover last November at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Tesla Model Y rival is due in 2024 with a 325-mile range, and will start from $55,000. Mullen in February also said it was developing solid-state battery technology, which the company said could appear in a next-generation version of the Five.
Mullen has now come out with an announcement that it plans to assemble its own battery packs at its current R&D facility in Monrovia, California. The facility was originally established by failed EV startup Coda. Mullen purchased the assets of Coda in 2014 and took over the Monrovia facility in 2017.
Mullen Five
Mullen will use the facility to assemble battery packs not only for the Five crossover but also for a planned cargo van and sports car. The sports car, known as the Dragonfly, is a version of the Qiantu K50 which was revealed in 2016 and currently on sale in China.
“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,” David Michery, Mullen’s CEO and chairman, said in a statement.
Mullen also plans to assemble vehicles in the U.S. The company last year acquired a plant in Tunica, Mississippi, where it plans to start production of its cargo van, known as the One, later this year. The company will eventually add production of the Five crossover at the plant in 2024. Mullen has previously said it will import the Dragonfly sports car from China.