Exhibit Zero Arabia

It wouldn’t be astonishing to call this decade, the decade of EVs. The frisson around the debut of these sustainable vehicles is even more than the time when the masses got to know something called automobile existed. Stimulated by Tesla in 2008 with its first-ever radical and revolutionary Roadster which gave nightmares to conventional GTs of that time, other automakers have joined the race to make cars which are far more intricate, frolic laden and most importantly, are frugal and take measures to support the environment. 

America’s largest automotive group, General Motors will be creating quite a stir in the coming years with the foray of 13 electric vehicles in the Middle East by 2025. These include cars from all segments-hatchbacks, SUVs and utility vehicles and luxury for the wrath of other automakers and establishing a strong product offensive. 

Of these cars, the first ones that will start narrating the fable are Chevrolet Bolt EUV, GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac LYRIQ which extemporaneously gained a fantastic fandom and traction in the US as the stock was sold out in no time. It was the prelude for heralding Cadillac into the EV car segment and jibed against SUVs from Tesla.

The news was broken at the Dubai World Trade Centre which has been serving as the Headquarters for GM Africa and Middle East since 1976. The inception of these vehicles will be the testament of its focus on the pillars of sustainability, autonomy and connectivity. 

To provide a competent lineup of products, GM a new sinuous yet rigid platform will be the foundation for its EVs and Ultium batteries will be used which will provide mind-boggling acceleration and a range which will exceed 600 km in some offerings. 

As electric mobility is the future and switching to these cars results in a downward sloping cost graph amidst other benefits, GM will be pumping in USD 35 billion in the next 4 years which will be utilised in the development of 30 new EVs. Its revenue is forecasted to surge from USD 10 billion in 2023 to USD 90 billion by 2030.

In case of emergencies, a program called OnStar will ensure the driver is connected to the car and is of use when the driver needs medical aid but can’t contact by himself. It is set to be a part of select GM models in the UAE on the 2nd December, 2021. It is anticipated to generate income of USD 2 billion annually over the world.

Not only is the brand focussing aggressively on EVs, but even autonomous mobility with its application called Cruise Origin which is an autonomous vehicle that can facilitate shared mobility and minimises the need to operate it. Coming as the pioneering step from the brand, UAE will be the first market which it will experience after North America and if found reliable and convenient enough, it will be operational by 2023 after receiving a nod from Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority. 

Along with this, an involving CGI experience also became part of the program by Alanoud Al Hashmi, CEO and Founder of The Futurist Company in Dubai which highlighted a futuristic cityscape and desert oasis depicting what life might be in Dubai, Riyadh or Doha in the near future and how the next generation of connected, electrified and sustainable vehicles will adapt to the new type of surroundings.

Steve Kiefer, GM Senior Vice President and President of GM International, who attended and spoke at the Exhibit Zero Arabia event in Dubai remarked, “The golden thread for GM is to pioneer innovations that move and connect people to what matters. We have robust plans to grow our core business of designing, building and selling world-class internal combustion, whilst paving the way for electric and autonomous vehicles and finding new roads for software, services and customer experiences. By focusing on the needs of our customers, we are expecting to double global revenue by 2030.    

The Africa and Middle East region is an integral part of GM’s global growth strategy, and our vehicles address the unique needs of the region for price, range, performance and charging.”

Gary West, Managing Director of OnStar and Future Mobility for GM Africa & Middle East commented, “OnStar is a service like no other, offering unparalleled levels of safety and security backed by human touch. It is already the leading connectivity platform globally with more than 16 million connected vehicles on the road today. 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. 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.”