Mexico’s president unveils affordable EV prototype backed by government

An electric vehicle startup backed by the Mexican government has unveiled its first prototype in a ceremony featuring President Claudia Sheinbaum, who praised the project as an affordable mobility option and a showcase for homegrown engineering.

A smiling Sheinbaum drove the six-seat passenger prototype, called the Olinia Uno, onto a stage inside a Mexican Air Force hangar north of Mexico City on Sunday. The president has promoted Olinia as a flagship project combining domestic manufacturing and the green transition with a push to highlight Mexico’s industrial ambitions.

“For a long time, people talked about how Mexico was a place only destined to produce what other people imagined,” Sheinbaum told a crowd that included dozens of designers and engineers involved in the project. “Olinia is the proof that Mexico can go far beyond that.”

Sheinbaum, a former climate scientist, has touted Olinia as a zero-emissions option for urban mobility that could help Mexico develop domestic supply chains and launch a national brand. The vehicle is designed for short city trips rather than highway use, which places it in a category focused on affordable, low-speed transport.

A prototype of Olinia’s cargo model that resembles a small pickup truck is set to be unveiled in July. Sales are expected to begin in summer 2027. The passenger vehicle is expected to sell for about 150,000 pesos, or $8,600.

The government also plans to install 2,000 to 3,000 charging stations across Mexico City and two adjoining states by the end of next year, said Olinia chief Roberto Capuano at the event.

Garcia writes and edits for Bloomberg.