Mexico’s First Self-Developed Electric Vehicle Olinia Uno Launched, Filling Local R&D Gap
On June 7 local time, Mexico’s first domestically developed pure electric vehicle, the Olinia Uno, was officially unveiled at the Santa Lucía Air Force Base. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum attended the launch event and completed a test drive.
“Some people told us that innovation only belongs to other places, and Mexico can only be an assembly plant. That is wrong,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the launch event. The vehicle was jointly developed by Mexican public universities and national research institutions, achieving full localization of the entire process from vehicle design and core system development to assembly. This marks the country’s break from the long-standing industrial model of merely undertaking assembly production for foreign brands, filling a gap in the independent research and development of new energy vehicles.
The new car is equipped with a 14.7 kWh battery pack, offering a pure electric range of 125 kilometers under CLTC conditions, with a maximum design speed limited to 50 km/h. The vehicle’s cost per kilometer is 0.49 Mexican pesos, and its starting price is set at 150,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to approximately 58,000 RMB.
The vehicle supports charging via standard household outlets (compatible with 110V and 220V). Depending on the power supply conditions, a full charge takes 4 to 8 hours, and it is compatible with the North American Charging Standard (NACS). The vehicle design includes accessibility features, accommodating wheelchair users, and boasts IP67-level waterproofing to cope with Mexico’s rainy season environment.
As a tangible outcome of Mexico’s “industrial autonomy” strategy, the research, development, and manufacturing of the Olinia Uno are all completed within the country. The first batch of mass-produced vehicles is planned to begin delivery in the summer of 2027. The subsequent industrialization progress will test the maturity and sustainable development capability of Mexico’s domestic new energy vehicle supply chain.
