Mexican state backed EV start-up reveals first prototype

Mexico’s state-backed electric vehicle venture Olinia has presented its first prototype, the Olinia Uno, with commercial sales targeted for summer 2027.

The six-seat passenger vehicle was unveiled during a ceremony at a Mexican Air Force hangar north of Mexico City attended by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who drove the prototype onto the stage.

As reported by Bloomberg, the Mexican government described the Olinia project as a domestic manufacturing initiative intended to support the country’s shift to electric mobility and to reinforce local industrial capabilities.

Built for short urban trips rather than highway driving, the Olinia Uno is aimed at the low-speed urban mobility segment and is intended to offer an affordable, zero-emissions transport option.

The passenger version is expected to cost about 150,000 pesos ($8,600).

Sheinbaum said: “Olinia is the proof that Mexico can go far beyond” producing what other people imagined.

The President has also promoted the project to develop domestic supply chains while creating a national electric vehicle brand.

At the event, Olinia chief Roberto Capuano said a prototype of the company’s cargo model, resembling a small pickup truck, will be revealed in July.

He also said the government plans to install between 2,000 and 3,000 charging stations across Mexico City and two neighbouring states by the end of next year.

Commercial sales of the Olinia Uno are expected to begin in summer 2027, while the cargo version will follow after further prototype development.

In a separate news reported last month, General Motors said it would locally assemble the Chevrolet Groove and Aveo at its Ramos Arizpe plant in Coahuila state from 2027, moving both models away from Asian production.

The shift forms part of a $1bn investment announced in January 2026, with the aim of raising annual domestic output to 80,000 units by 2030 — vehicles that are currently all imported.

“Mexican state backed EV start-up reveals first prototype” was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.