The Mexican government is leading a public-private initiative to develop electric vehicles, named Olinia, with plans to debut them at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
At a press conference last week, President Claudia Sheinbaum unveiled the project, explaining that a team of researchers from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) and the National Technological Institute of Mexico was assembled three months ago with a budget of 25 million pesos to develop the models.
Olinia will feature a range of three models of varying sizes and purposes.
All the models are compact and designed for urban environments. They include a mini-vehicle for “personal mobility,” a slightly larger model for “neighborhood mobility,” and a van.
Rosaura Ruiz Gutiérrez, Mexico’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, stated that the project “has the potential to be a watershed moment for the Mexican automotive industry.”
The vehicles will be priced so that average-income Mexicans can afford them, Sheinbaum said.
The president added that the goal is for an Olinia vehicle to drive onto the field at the opening match of the World Cup, to be held at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.