Admiral Mobility, a subsidiary of the US-based Admiral Corporation of America, intends to establish a facility in the UAE to manufacture electric vehicles, initially e-trucks and then electric automobiles, in conjunction with China's Geely Farizon Commercial Group.
As a first step, Admiral Mobility and Geely Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group formed a strategic agreement to roll out electric commercial cars throughout the Middle East, according to Frank Bernthaler, Admiral Mobility's Chief Operating Officer.
Admiral Mobility, he stated, will deliver 5,000 electric commercial cars to the Middle East. The pledge includes 3,000 e-trucks weighing between 6 and 8 tonnes, as well as 2,000 electric Farizon Supervans.
The first 500 of the 5,000 e-trucks will be solely for the UAE market, while the remaining 2,000 will be Supervans, which have a large market potential. He said that e-trucks are in high demand in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Africa. Admiral also intends to expand its product line to include buses.
“We will introduce a variety of hydrogen-based electric buses, vans, and heavy vehicles in addition to our electric trucks, along with charging and energy storage technologies. Admiral won't be making hydrogen, but it will assist producers by providing a complete grid solution and a network of infrastructure for charging cars," said Bernthaler.
The Admiral Mobility assembly plan is divided into three parts, the first of which is distribution, which has already been disclosed, and the second and third of which will be localised later on.
"Phase 1 introduces a product that has been tested and designed for this market. We will analyse localisation in phases two and three, and when it makes economic and commercial sense, we will opt for local assembly," he added.
Because clients have varied needs, the trucks can be imported as cabin and chassis only, without the box, which is heavier. Admiral can manufacture the boxes locally to meet the needs of the clients.
"For electric automobiles, we are talking to one of the 300 car manufacturers in China. They have excellent items with cutting-edge technology. If local assembly occurs, it will almost certainly be with Geely since they have the technology that others do not. When I go beyond Geely and other manufacturers, we have a vast range of buses based on electric technology and even hydrogen," Bernthaler added.
The pledge to deliver 500 commercial cars to the UAE by 2023 would contribute to the development of the 'green transportation industry,' particularly in the run-up to the COP28 climate change summit next year.
The Admiral Mobility COO stated that the company's focus would be on offering sustainable mobility solutions to distribution enterprises through the usage of EV vehicles, resulting in an ecologically beneficial and economically successful business model.