How Olinia Turns Mexico's EV Ambition into Reality

(spectrum.ieee.org)

22 points by rbanffy2 hours ago

4 comments

porphyra19 minutes ago
The article talks a lot about how China makes most of the electric cars and Mexico wants to "capture a piece of the action", but the Olinia has substantial amounts of its engineering and parts from China [1]. And instead of learning from a nice actual roadgoing car, they based it on a golf cart-like mini vehicle from a little-known Chinese motorcycle manufacturer.[1] <a href="https://elceo.com/investigaciones-especiales/olinia-el-vinculo-con-china-detras-del-auto-electrico-de-claudia-sheinbaum/" rel="nofollow">https://elceo.com/investigaciones-especiales/olinia-el-vincu...</a>
blovescoffee44 minutes ago
This is going to go absolutely nowhere. There's really no market for these and the govt. would rather focus on something flashy like a new car instead of infrastructure or anything that could threaten Pemex (god forbid...)
- culi34 minutes ago
 Famously, she's focused a lot of her infrastructure work on expansion of rail. Including the 5.6 trillion peso Plan México and 3,000 new km of passenger train lines. She's also remodeling the Mexico City airport, modernizing and repairing 4,000 km of roads, and pushed the National Hospital Infrastructure Plan that will fund massive expansions of three major hospital systems. Also half of the infrastructure budget is allocated to energy infrastructure. Specifically to fund her massive clean energy transition. 70% of new energy is to come from renewables.What other infrastructure do you have in mind?
 - cineticdaffodil28 minutes ago
 Something that fits to a poor struggling country, not some upper crust infra renewal.Poor people need rail, busses, cars and the cheapest possible power. If the government does not provide the cartels are more then ready to do its job to placate the citizens.
 - culi18 minutes ago
 Did you even read my comment?
 - eduardosalaz21 minutes ago
 Once more, the "remodeling" of the Mexico City airport is a historic failure by the previous and current administration. A new airport was being built, funded solely by private money and the previous administration made a non-binding public poll on whether to cancel it because of baseless corruption accusations. That was 8 years ago, and as it turns out, Mexico City desperately needed a new airport anyways. So the Army took a military base and expanded it to build a toy airport far away, which no one uses, so they had to pour money into the old, aging airport. Renewables is also a smoke screen, last administration spent 0 on the energy infra and now that's why we face blackouts every other day.
alephnerd1 hour ago
Based on Olina's marketing [0], they are primarily targeting to replace auto rickshaws/three-wheelers.It isn't meant to be a direct competitor of a Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo, Nissan Frontier, or a Kia K3.A better approach would have been adopting Malaysia's strategy of working on building a domestic battery platform [1], as the actual value add of an EV platform comes from the battery itself.Also, the Olina Uno is very feature light (no AC, no air bags, little to no trunk space) despite costing around $8600 [2] despite Chinese, Indian [3], and Vietnamese [4] EV cars providing those features out of the box at the $7,000-9,000 pricepoint.[0] - <a href="https://www.olinia.auto/" rel="nofollow">https://www.olinia.auto/</a>[1] - <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/automobiles/electric-vehicles/malaysia-to-start-initial-production-of-homegrown-ev-battery-in-july" rel="nofollow">https://asia.nikkei.com/business/automobiles/electric-vehicl...</a>[2] - <a href="https://insideevs.com/news/798256/mexico-olinia-uno-ev-cheap/" rel="nofollow">https://insideevs.com/news/798256/mexico-olinia-uno-ev-cheap...</a>[3] - <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/automobiles/electric-vehicles/tata-attacks-india-market-with-7-000-ev-backed-by-protectionist-policies" rel="nofollow">https://asia.nikkei.com/business/automobiles/electric-vehicl...</a>[4] - <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/automobiles/electric-vehicles/vinfast-rolls-out-7-100-ev-to-tap-vietnam-s-underpenetrated-car-market2" rel="nofollow">https://asia.nikkei.com/business/automobiles/electric-vehicl...</a>
- xutopia1 hour ago
 Mexico most cabs there just have windows rolled down or even no windows at all aside from the windshield.In Mazatlan for example the most common taxi is called a pulmonia and only has a windshield and top cover but is gaz powered. This seems like a slightly longer version of the 4 seater pulomnia. I could totally see this being a great upgrade for a taxi driver there.
 - blovescoffee45 minutes ago
 There's no way the average taxi driver can spend $8500 usd which is probably between 1 - 2x what they earn in a year in Mazatlan on a new electric vehicle which lacks infrastructure there. The electric vehicle "taxi" drivers in Mexico tend to be the upscale uber drivers. If you chat with taxi drivers in Mexico (I did for a bit while brainstorming startup ideas) they're squeezed between many rocks-and-a-hard-place and I don't think a new electric vehicle that underperforms Chinese ones in most ways will capture any of that market.
 - alephnerd43 minutes ago
 Depending on monthly financing, an $8500 electric rickshaw might work. I guess the big question is how much is monthly financing for a used Nissan Versa.If I can purchase a used Nissan Versa for around $9000 and an Olina Uno for around $8500 and loan terms are roughly comparable, the used Nissan Versa would probably be the smarter purchase.If financing for the Olina Uno cannot compete with financing for a used sedan, then I would assume that mototaxi owners would probably upgrade to a used sedan instead.
 - blovescoffee35 minutes ago
 Very very few taxi drivers in Mexico are financing a $9000 sedan. They're mostly driving some taxi service's car and paying the service for the car or they're paying cash for a used and much cheaper car. $9000 is a lot of money for a taxi driver in Mexico.
 - prmoustache1 hour ago
 I can see how it could replace a pulmonia but I don't see taxis replacing a nissan tsuru and versa with this to drive people to or from an airport or bus station.
 - MyHonestOpinon58 minutes ago
 > Mexico most cabs there just have windows rolled down or even no windows at all aside from the windshield.That is mostly untrue. I have only seen those in Mazatlan and other turisti destinations.
 - alephnerd53 minutes ago
 I've seen Bajaj autos/mototaxis as well as the Qute in non-touristy parts of Yucatan and Chiapas that a friend took me to, but definitely not in CDMX (but tbf I also didn't visit the less well off areas of CDMX).I think I noticed used cars the most, and honestly I don't think the economics of a three-wheeler makes sense in Mexico in 2026 compared to a used Nissan sedan.
 - alephnerd1 hour ago
 Agreed!I think Olina can successfully replace pulmonias, three-wheelers, and moto-taxis, but forcing a narrative that they can replace cars will only set the project up for failure.
 - culi31 minutes ago
 It's called the Olina *1*. Meaning its a first step. Focusing on a smaller market to start off makes total sense as you scale your manufacturing to prepare for larger markets
7256861 hour ago
This is all populist BS that will lead nowhere. The current government is the most incompetent and corrupt ever. And we had a really low bar already.
- MyHonestOpinon53 minutes ago
 The current government of Mexico sells itself as a left leaning party. But it has been destroying or capturing every institution we had built to support our democracy, the separation of powers and the rule of law. From the judicial branch, the electoral institute, the transparency institute and many more.
 - blovescoffee49 minutes ago
 As a left leaning guy, none of these actions are inherently not-left-leaning which seems to be your assertion. Left and right and middle can all capture institutions if left unchecked which is the case in Mexico.
 - MyHonestOpinon31 minutes ago
 That was not my intention, but thanks for clarifying it.Now days we have to ask if political movements are committed to democracy even before we ask if the lean left or right.
 - culi40 minutes ago
 I mean she passed a plan for universal basic healthcare. I'd say that's clearly left-leaning (even if a bit milquetoast). Her Abrazos, no balazos approach to crime and anti-war stances are also pretty left-leaning. I think she's clearly a left-wing figure but is moderated by trying to toe the line between US foreign policy and leftwing populism
 - MyHonestOpinon14 minutes ago
 Those are left-leaning only if you do not the details. Please consider that this government has a fantastic propaganda machine.For example, We already had a Universal Basic Healthcare called Seguro Popular. Which was destroyed in 2018 by this regime on a tantrum which left millions without coverage. We went from 9% uncovered to 26% uncovered. They are still trying to figure out how to fix that.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12639676/" rel="nofollow">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12639676/</a>The "Abrazos, no balazos" approach turned out to be the party colluding with organized crime to win elections.
 - eduardosalaz29 minutes ago
 I will preface my comment by saying I'm in no way trying to attack you personally or discredit your opinion based on your foreigner status, but she is not left-leaning. The plan for universal basic healthcare is a rehash of a program that already existed and was cancelled by her antecesor (and mentor). Abrazos, no balazos is also a policy from her ancestor which has resulted (to no avail) in the highest numbers of killings and missing people. Paradoxically, the country has become more militarized, with the Army taking many more responsibilities such as managing borders, trains and airports. The Federal Police got abolished by a National Guard that has since integrated into the Army command structure, no longer a civil force. Previous administration was also against renewables and the trend is still there. It's all populism and propaganda. The judicial power was captured and dismantled along with all serious institutions, and yes, even right wing governments can do it, typically one associates left leaning governments towards separation of powers.
- culi43 minutes ago
 I think they're doing alright. Populism seems to be working for her approval ratings since she's one of Latin America's most popular leaders:<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/07/16/mexicans-view-president-claudia-sheinbaum-favorably-but-less-so-than-in-2025/" rel="nofollow">https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/07/16/mexicans-...</a><a href="https://www.as-coa.org/articles/approval-tracker-mexicos-president-claudia-sheinbaum" rel="nofollow">https://www.as-coa.org/articles/approval-tracker-mexicos-pre...</a>If lifting 8.3 million Mexican people out of poverty is "populism" then maybe we need more of that.And I don't think the corruption claim is warranted. Her "Abrazos, no balazos" ("hugs, not guns") approach to dealing with gangs is taken as evidence of her being in cahoots with them but the data shows that it's clearly working. Homicides have dropped by almost half from a year ago! And other crimes have followed the same trajectory.<a href="https://www.gob.mx/sspc/prensa/estrategia-nacional-de-seguridad-reduce-46-los-homicidios-dolosos-representa-39-homicidios-menos-cada-dia?idiom=es" rel="nofollow">https://www.gob.mx/sspc/prensa/estrategia-nacional-de-seguri...</a>
 - Apocryphon33 minutes ago
 Hey, worked for Richmond.<a href="https://www.nlc.org/resource/reimagining-public-safety-impact-updates/richmond-ca-community-violence-intervention/" rel="nofollow">https://www.nlc.org/resource/reimagining-public-safety-impac...</a><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/19/health/cash-for-criminals-richmond-california" rel="nofollow">https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/19/health/cash-for-criminals-ric...</a>