General Motors on Monday showcased its plans to offer an electric vehicle "for every wallet and every customer” in the Middle East at its Exhibit Zero Arabia event at the World Trade Centre.
GM’s ambitious initiative is built around a plan to launch 13 new EVs in the Middle East by 2025 – spearheaded by the GMC Hummer EV, Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Cadillac LYRIQ.
A key element of each of these new vehicles is GM’s third-generation global EV platform powered by “Ultium” batteries. The company says its Ultium tech has reduced battery costs by 40 per cent and adds that the unit cost will decrease further as EV adoption rates and production increases through the decade.
Although GM has stated its intention to target buyers of every demographic with its EV assault, the vehicle that’s likely to pique the greatest interest in our region is the GMC Hummer EV. The Hummer brand had a noticeable presence in the Middle East until dwindling sales and an increasingly uncompetitive line-up resulted in its axing in 2010.
While yesteryear Hummers were dinosaurs with rudimentary underpinnings, the reborn battery-powered iteration – now positioned as a nameplate of the upmarket GMC brand – is a techno powerhouse by comparison. It will be offered in both pickup and SUV formats, broadening its reach in the market.
Although GM hasn’t for now revealed detailed tech info pertaining to the GMC Hummer EV, it’s believed the range-topping version will feature three electric motors and deliver 1,000 horsepower. The Ultium battery platform will enable it to sprint from 0-100 kilometres per hour in little more than three seconds and provide a touring range of 600km on a full charge.
Among the Hummer EV’s cool features are removable roof panels, an optional adjustable air suspension and a novel four-wheel steering feature that allows it to "crab" sideways – drive diagonally – which should boost its off-roading prowess.
Production of the GMC Hummer EV has begun at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, less than two years after GM announced a massive $2.2 billion investment to fully renovate the facility to build a variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs.
Also of potential interest in our region – particularly as the electric recharging network is ramping up rapidly – is the Chevrolet Bolt EUV, positioned as an affordable battery-powered hatchback. The compact Chevy is backed by respectable stats that include a touring range of 400km and 0-100kph sprint of seven seconds. If GM can get the pricing equation right, the Bolt EUV could be greeted by a receptive audience in the UAE.
The third key EV debutant up GM’s sleeve is the Cadillac LYRIQ. Clothed in futuristic garb and featuring a state-of-the-art cabin, the Caddy will go head-to-head with offerings such as the Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes EQC and Tesla Model X. Likely to go on sale in 2023, the LYRIQ will be available with a single electric motor driving the rear axle, as well as a dual motors powering both axles.
The Middle East EV offensive is part of a worldwide GM initiative, in which it plans to invest $35bn through 2025 in electric and autonomous vehicles, with more than 30 new EVs launching globally. The automaker is projecting global EV revenue to grow from around $10bn in 2023 to about $90bn annually by 2030.
GM also used the Exhibit Zero Arabia event to announce its OnStar system will officially launch in the UAE on Thursday, December 2. OnStar is an in-vehicle safety and security technology that provides customers with a suite of connected services.
“With the approval and support of the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Police and the UAE Ministry of Interior, we’re so excited to launch OnStar in the UAE on December 2, following our first regional launch in Kuwait earlier this year,” said Gary West, managing director of OnStar and Future Mobility for GM Africa & Middle East.
“OnStar gives customers peace of mind that no matter what the situation, they can press the red button and get support from an OnStar Advisor 24/7, 365 days a year."
