Saudia Arabia Launches New Ceer EVs To Compete Against Tesla In It Own Backyard

cleantechnica.com Sep 23, 2026

Saudia Arabia Launches New Ceer EVs To Compete Against Tesla In It Own Backyard

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 23, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Saudi Arabia’s state‑backed automaker Ceer Motors unveiled its flagship electric vehicles, the EXOBOT sedan and SUV, marking the first two models of a seven‑vehicle lineup slated for production over the next five years. The launch follows Tesla’s 2022 entry into the Saudi market and reflects the kingdom’s broader push to build a domestic EV industry under the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and a joint venture with Foxconn. Ceer leverages BMW licensing and partners such as Dürr, Schuler, Siemens and ABB, while its $5 billion manufacturing complex in King Abdullah Economic City integrates production, logistics and testing facilities. The company aims to serve affluent Saudi and GCC buyers and eventually export, targeting an $8 billion GDP contribution by 2034.

💡 Why It Matters

· Ceer’s home‑grown EV platform positions Saudi Arabia as a rare oil‑rich nation cultivating its own electric‑vehicle supply chain, shifting the country from importer to exporter in a fast‑growing market.

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Norway’s Bastø Electric Shows What Five Years of Ferry Electrification Looks Like

Bastø Electric entered service on Norway’s busy Moss‑Horten ferry route in March 2021 as the world’s largest all‑electric ferry, a 139.2‑metre vessel with a 4.3 MWh battery capable of carrying 600 passengers and 200 cars. Over five years it has operated alongside converted ferries Bastø IV and Bastø VI, forming a mixed fleet that now handles roughly 75 percent of the route’s 36,000 daily departures. The route moves about four million passengers and two million vehicles annually across a 10‑kilometre crossing that takes half an hour, allowing the ferries to charge at shore stations with up to 9 MW power. The electrification program cut diesel use by an estimated six million litres per year, avoiding roughly 16 000 metric tons of CO₂.

💡 Demonstrating that new builds, retrofits and shore‑side charging can coexist, Bastø’s model offers a practical blueprint for rapidly decarbonising high‑frequency ferry services worldwide.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 23

Philippine President Pushes Local Production of Electric Tricycles, Jeepneys

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the expansion of locally‑made electric tricycles and jeepneys during an Aug. 25 visit to MD Juan Enterprises in Caloocan City. The administration will link manufacturers with electric‑vehicle technologies created by Philippine universities, notably Cagayan State University’s ElectroMobility Research and Development Center, which has produced a seven‑seat electric tricycle and a conversion kit (C‑Trike) for existing units. MD Juan, which halted EV production in 2014 due to weak demand, is now poised to restart with government‑provided equipment and support. The university’s prototype costs about P600,000, while conversions run around P120,000; costs are expected to drop as production scales. DOST has funded the project with over P51 million and is promoting battery‑swapping systems and other university‑led EV initiatives.

💡 By turning academic prototypes into mass‑produced vehicles, the Philippines can slash urban fuel imports and create a homegrown EV supply chain.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 22

The Philippines Is Taking Its Electric Love Bus Beyond Metro Manila

The Philippines has launched a new electric Love Bus route linking Robinsons Galleria to Eastwood, expanding the program beyond its original Metro Manila corridor. The service, free to riders from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., is operated by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority together with Global Electric Transport Philippines, which supplies its COMET electric minibuses. The fleet’s 54‑kWh lithium‑iron‑phosphate batteries promise a 100‑km range and can charge from 20 % to 90 % in about 45 minutes. The rollout follows earlier pilots that integrated persons with disabilities and connected key hubs such as the Valenzuela Gateway Complex and PITX. Private developers like Robinsons Land and Megaworld are providing vehicles, charging stations and route access, while similar deployments have begun in Cebu and Davao nationwide.

💡 By proving that compact electric minibuses can run reliably in Manila’s heat and traffic, the Love Bus pilots give policymakers concrete data to scale EV public transport across the archipelago.

slashgear.com · Sep 22

5 Pickup Trucks That Are As Fast (Or Faster) Than Sports Cars

SlashGear’s Caroline Anschutz lists five pickup trucks that can out‑accelerate iconic sports cars such as the Corvette, Mustang, Porsche 911 and Miata. The roundup highlights that electric powertrains give several models a zero‑to‑60 time faster than many high‑performance coupes, thanks to instant torque. Among the electric contenders are the Rivian R1T, Ford F‑150 Lightning, and the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck, each posting sub‑3‑second runs in manufacturer data. For gasoline‑only buyers, the article includes the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado SS and the 2026 Ram 1500 TRX, both boasting sub‑4‑second sprint times while retaining traditional towing capacity. Anschutz notes that modern trucks now blend performance, luxury interiors and utility, challenging the stereotype that speed belongs only to sports cars in today’s competitive market and.

💡 Ultra‑fast pickups are reshaping buyer expectations, turning performance into a standard feature of utility vehicles.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 22

Norway’s Electric Ferries Could Find a Big Market in the Philippines

A four‑day study tour by Philippine maritime officials to Norway followed the 2025 Norway‑Philippines Electric Ferries Conference, where Norwegian companies and Philippine agencies explored electric and hybrid ferry technology. The delegation visited operating electric ferries, met operators, and examined Norway’s decade‑long experience, which includes 180 vessels on 100 routes. The trip produced a partnership to prototype an electric‑hybrid ferry under the EU‑supported TrAM project, aiming to tailor solutions to the Philippines’ diverse waterway needs.

💡 The collaboration could accelerate the Philippines’ shift to low‑emission maritime transport, offering a tested Norwegian model adapted to local conditions.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 22

Irizar Completes Delivery of 31 Electric Buses to Poland’s GZM Network

Irizar e‑mobility has finished delivering 31 battery‑electric buses to the Górnośląsko‑Zagłębiowska Metropolia (GZM) network in Upper Silesia, Poland. The order comprises 16 articulated 18‑metre units and 15 standard 12‑metre models, allocated to four municipal operators in Sosnowiec, Świerklaniec, Katowice and Gliwice. Alongside the vehicles, Irizar installed 20 depot chargers – including 18 dual 80‑kW units, one triple 120‑kW and one 180‑kW charger – as part of a PLN 133.7 million project largely funded by the national recovery plan. The delivery expands GZM’s “Green Transport” programme, which already includes 73 electric buses from Irizar and Solaris and eight hydrogen buses. Future phases will add 24 more battery‑electric buses and additional charging infrastructure, further diversifying the region’s zero‑emission fleet by 2028, significantly strengthening the city’s climate commitments.

💡 The unified Irizar platform across four operators gives GZM real‑world performance data that can accelerate Europe’s transition to standardized electric public‑transport fleets.