During her morning press conference on January 6, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, President of Mexico, presented Olinia, the first automaker of electric cars developed in Mexico.
According to the president, this project aims to provide a safe, efficient, and sustainable urban mobility option accessible to millions of Mexicans.
“This small car must be safe, electric, capable of being plugged into any socket, and most of its components should be Mexican. Gradually, we will build this production chain,” highlighted the head of state.
Who is behind Olinia’s development?
During the morning briefing, Sheinbaum explained that the development of Olinia electric cars is being carried out by a team of researchers from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) and the National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM), who are working to create the necessary technology for these vehicles.
This project has an allocated investment of 25 million pesos (mdp) in 2025.
“So far, we already have the team in place, and they have made progress. At the right time, private companies dedicated to producing electric motors will also be invited,” she noted.
In this regard, Rosaura Ruiz Gutiérrez, Secretary of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation, explained that Olinia aims to achieve a successful technology transfer from the academic and research sector to the creation of companies, in this case, a public-private partnership.
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Who will manufacture the Olinia cars?
While the Mexican government supports the design of these electric vehicles, Sheinbaum explained that for the construction of the Olinia cars, the goal is to establish assembly plants in various parts of the country, making this mode of transportation more accessible.
“The idea is that the government supports the department in creating this design. When it comes to manufacturing the vehicles, the parts can be produced in different places and assembled in different locations. That’s one of the objectives. It would be great to have regional assembly plants to provide the vehicles at a lower cost,” she emphasized.
What we know so far about Olinia models
Roberto Capuano Tripp, head of the Sustainable Development Project for the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, and CDMX, highlighted that Olinia plans to create three vehicle models based on mobility needs.
The official outlined the following projected models: personal mobility, neighborhood mobility, and last-mile delivery.
“We will achieve this by designing a multi-purpose modular platform for all three. This means that the chassis, motor, powertrain, and battery will be developed once, and different body types will be used on this platform to serve the various purposes I just mentioned,” he explained.
The vehicles will be zero-emission, meaning they won’t emit greenhouse gases. They will be silent and have a much lower operating cost than gasoline vehicles. Additionally, it is estimated that they will be equipped with lithium batteries.
Olinia car prices
The estimated prices for the vehicles will range from 90,000 to 150,000 pesos, depending on the model. Fair financing plans will be offered to make electric mobility accessible to all Mexicans.
What does Olinia mean?
In Nahuatl, Olinia means movement.
