An Electric Vehicle production in UAE? Canada’s AXL chases that possibility

An Electric Vehicle production in UAE? Canada’s AXL chases that possibility

Dubai: Can the UAE be a production base for electric cars? One Canadian firm – AXL Electrics Vehicles – seem to think so, confirming that talks have been held with KIZAD, the industrial hub in Abu Dhabi, and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority in Dubai for a possible facility. To press its claims further - and offer assurances it’s not just talk – AXL unveiled the prototype of its first model, an SUV – the Sharx-5 with a claimed range of 500 kilometres. The price? Around the Dh146,000 mark ($39,800). “We had to keep the price at a sort of affordable-luxury level, because price is one barrier in more buyers adopting EVs,” said Ali Eslami, CEO of AXL. “What we haven’t done is introduce a model and then add extra for additional details or trims. The $39,800 is the all-in price and we will start taking reservations.” Price-wise, the model can indeed draw attention. Going under Dh150,000 is seen as the template to create a wider base of buyers. Some of the recently launched Chinese EV models have already set sights on getting first-mover advantage in that price range. Actual production is still some way off. The company will need