General Motors Africa and Middle East has confirmed that the Chevrolet Blazer EV will be the fourth of 13 electric vehicles it is set to launch in the region by 2025.
The SUV will be debut in 2024 and join the Cadillac LYRIQ, GMC HUMMER EV and Chevrolet Bolt EUV – all slated to arrive in the region by next year.
The addition cements GM’s aim to lead the EV market with the broadest line-up, offering an EV for every need and every wallet, claimed the company in a statement.
It added that the launches meet the “intensifying interest for electric vehicles across the GCC”, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ranking in the top 50 countries embracing EV transition, according to a global vehicle electrification index collated annually by AlixPartners.
“The auto industry in the Middle East is transforming at pace, moving further and faster toward an all-electric future, driven by technological advances, visionary government agendas, regional sustainability goals and rising fuel prices,” said Luay Al Shurafa, president, General Motors Africa and the Middle East.
“At GM, we are focused on the customers of today and tomorrow, delivering on our Ambidextrous Business Strategy to provide the cars, trucks and SUVs that our customers love, while seeding for leadership in Future Mobility across electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity. Interest and appetite for EVs is skyrocketing in our region, and with 13 all-new EVs confirmed for launch by 2025, GM’s clear goal is to be Number 1 in EVs in the Middle East by 2025. The Middle East is a critical market for GM, and we are aligning our plans with regional government ambitions to encourage adoption of green mobility and support net zero targets.”
At uits recent two-day drive and technology immersion held at General Motors’ Michigan headquarters and R&D centersGM is investing $35 billion into EV and AV technology across the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac brands, reaffirmed at a recent two-day drive and technology immersion held at General Motors’ Michigan headquarters and R&D centers. The event highlighted GM’s commitment to deploying its zero emissions, zero crashes, zero congestion strategy to help build a sustainable future for the planet, made possible by groundbreaking technology, that is set to revolutionize mobility in the Middle East.
“As a car maker, tech company and customer experience innovator, GM’s growth strategy is to ensure that our current and future fleet of vehicles address the unique needs of the region for price, range, performance, and charging. And we’re going well beyond the traditional model of vehicles. From launching a fleet of fully autonomous Cruise Origins in Dubai in partnership with the RTA, to signing an MoU with Emirates Post Group to explore electrifying the last-mile delivery ecosystem, to partnering with start-ups across the region, GM is much, much more than a car company and we’re excited to show people across the Middle East what’s in store, continued Al Shurafa.
In addition to the roll out of EVs, GM is also set to launch its pioneering autonomous vehicles to the market, with the GM majority-owned Cruise embarking on a partnership with Dubai RTA. The agreement will see the self-driving and shared vehicle company bring its autonomous vehicle service, powered by GM’s Ultium battery technology, to the UAE, as the first international venture outside of the US.