Mexico joins the charge with limited production EVs

The first electric car made completely in Mexico by a Mexican company will go on sale I n November, according to the Mexico Daily News.

Two zero-emissions coupe models — the M2 and the M3 — made by Motores Limpios, will initially be available under the brand name Zacua.

Company director Jorge Martínez says the initiative was born of the need for more environmentally friendly transportation options. “Global warming has very serious consequences and Mexico cannot remain on the margins. Mexico has to be a protagonist with tangible initiatives that start to make a difference right away.”

While the cars will initially be manufactured in Estado de México, a French company, Automobiles Chatenet, was responsible for the design and a Spanish company, Dynamik Technological Alliance, completed the engineering development, reports the Mexico Daily News.

The first vehicle on the market will be a two-seater coupe with a limited batch of just 100 expected to be on sale in Mexico City by November, although a further 200 are planned for 2018 and an additional 300 in 2019.

Measuring just 3.06 meters in length, 1.56 meters wide and 1.4 meters high and weighing only 380 kilograms, the car is designed to squeeze into the smallest of spaces. Powered by a lithium-ion battery that takes eight hours to fully charge, the cars have a 115-kilometer range and a top speed of 100 km/h although a speed limiter activates at 85 km/h.

According to the Mexico Daily News, prices will start at around 440,000 pesos (NZ$34,000).