General Motors Africa and Middle East (GM AMEO) is forging towards its vision for an electric future in the Middle East, confirming the fourth of 13 electric vehicles set for the region by 2025.
Showcasing an array of cutting-edge technology that will redefine the future of mobility, GM AMEO said the Chevrolet Blazer EV SUV, launching in 2024, will join the Cadillac LYRIQ, GMC HUMMER EV and Chevrolet Bolt EUV – all slated to arrive in the region by 2023.
The addition cements GM’s aim to lead the EV market with the broadest line-up, offering an EV for every need and every wallet. It also meets the intensifying interest for electric vehicles across the GCC, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE ranking in the top 50 countries embracing EV transition, according to a global vehicle electrification index collated annually by AlixPartners.
All-electric future
Luay Al Shurafa, President and Managing Director of GM AMEO, said: “The auto industry in the Middle East is transforming at pace, moving further and faster toward an all-electric future, driven by technological advances, visionary government agendas, regional sustainability goals and rising fuel prices. At GM, we are focused on the customers of today and tomorrow, delivering on our Ambidextrous Business Strategy to provide the cars, trucks and SUVs that our customers love, while seeding for leadership in Future Mobility across electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity.
“Interest and appetite for EVs is skyrocketing in our region, and with 13 all-new EVs confirmed for launch by 2025, GM’s clear goal is to be Number 1 in EVs in the Middle East by 2025. The Middle East is a critical market for GM, and we are aligning our plans with regional government ambitions to encourage adoption of green mobility and support net zero targets.”
GM’s EV revolution roll out, draws from the global investment of $35 billion into EV and AV technology across the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac brands, reaffirmed at a recent two-day drive and technology immersion held at General Motors’ Michigan headquarters and R&D centres.
Groundbreaking technology
The event highlighted GM's commitment to deploying its zero emissions, zero crashes, zero congestion strategy to help build a sustainable future for the planet, made possible by groundbreaking technology, that is set to revolutionise mobility in the Middle East.
Underpinning the electric revolution is GM’s industry-leading, modular and flexible Ultium battery platform. Ultium provides performance and driving range exceeding many petrol-powered vehicles, relegating range anxiety to a thing of the past.
Depending on the model, GM’s Ultium-based EVs are capable of 0 to 100km/h acceleration, in as low as 3.0 seconds, whilst boasting a driving range of more than 600 kilometres on a single charge. And with fast charging, Ultium-equipped EVs can provide up to 160km of range with just a 10-minute charge. Ultium has already reduced battery costs by 40% and as EV adoption rates and production increases rapidly through the decade, costs will continue to come down.
Growth strategy
“As a car maker, tech company and customer experience innovator, GM’s growth strategy is to ensure that our current and future fleet of vehicles address the unique needs of the region for price, range, performance, and charging. And we’re going well beyond the traditional model of vehicles.
“From launching a fleet of fully autonomous Cruise Origins in Dubai in partnership with the RTA, to signing an MoU with Emirates Post Group to explore electrifying the last-mile delivery ecosystem, to partnering with start-ups across the region, GM is much, much more than a car company and we’re excited to show people across the Middle East what’s in store, continued Luay Al Shurafa, President and Managing Director of General Motors Africa and the Middle East.
In addition to the roll out of EVs, GM is also set to launch its pioneering autonomous vehicles to the market, with the GM majority-owned Cruise embarking on a partnership with Dubai RTA. The agreement will see the self-driving and shared vehicle company bring its autonomous vehicle service, powered by GM’s Ultium battery technology, to the UAE, as the first international venture outside of the US.
Self-driving vehicles
Cruise and Dubai’s RTA aim to have a limited number of Cruise’s self-driving vehicles running in Dubai from 2023, with up to 4,000 AVs on the road by 2030. Work towards this vision is already under way as a fleet of Chevrolet Bolts have begun mapping the streets of Dubai in preparation for the Cruise Origin roll-out. This supports Dubai’s Green Mobility Strategy 2030, mandating 30% of public sector vehicles and 10% of all vehicle sales to be electric.
GM’s EV and AV roll-out is elevated in tandem by cohesive efforts with local government, corporate and private entities to ensure infrastructure readiness. This feeds into regional government visions to achieve various net zero ambitions, spanning Saudi Arabia’s Net Zero 2060 vision, as well as UAE’s and Qatar’s 2050 Net Zero ambition.
As part of the electrification push, GM is also bringing to market wider mobility solutions within the logistical space, exemplified by the partnership with UAE’s Emirates Post. The MoU signed last year outlines the use of Ultium technology, to power the BrightDrop EV600, spearheading transformative change within the delivery sector regionally.
The continued collaboration of GM with regional governments, public and private entities, as well as the highly anticipated roll out of 13 EVs by 2025, reaffirms the brand’s commitment to bringing the future of mobility to the Middle East, today.-- TradeArabia News Service
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