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Blood In The Water: Automakers Rush To Sell EVs In The Middle East

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Blood In The Water: Automakers Rush To Sell EVs In The Middle East

US President Donald Trump’s war on electric vehicles is fizzling out with a whimper. On a global level, sales of gas-only cars fell below 50% for the first time last week. Interest in zero emission mobility has even ticked up in the Middle East, where China’s Chery Group is among the autmakers spotting a ripe opportunity to pitch EVs to a thirsty new market. In the latest development, last week Chery tapped Abu Dhabi the to launch the newly independent Freelander global brand, featuring a left-hand variant.

Selling EVs to a nation that depends on oil revenue would have been a tough row to hoe just a few years ago. However, in parts of the region policy makers have been laying long term plans to prepare the economy for diversification. Saudi Arabia, for example, has leveraged its financial interest in the US startup Lucid Motors to launch a new domestic auto manufacturing ecosystem, focusing on EVs.

Into this picture steps Chery Group. If all goes according to plan, the ripple effect of the Abu Dhabi launch of the Freelander will ripple throughout the United Arab Emirates, and regionally, and globally, adding left-hand drive to the automaker’s markets.

So far the company has confirmed dealer partnerships with Al Tayer Motors for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in addition to Abu Dhabi.

If Freelander rings a bell, it might. The Land Rover branch of Jaguar Land Rover initially began sales of the gas-powered Freelander in Europe in 1997, later moving into the US, Canada, and the Middle East.


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